THE    LIFE 


OF 


STOIEWALL    JACKSON, 


OFFICIAL  PAPERS,  CONTEMPORARY  NARRATIVES,  AND 
PERSONAL  ACQUAINTANCE. 


BY    A    VIROINIAN. 
3ohn 


"  I  have  just  received  your  note,  informing  me  that  you  were  wounded.  I  cannot  express 
my  regret  at  the  occurrence.  Could  I  have  directed  events,  I  should  have  chosen,  for  the 
good  of  the  country,  to  have  b°en  disabled  in  your  stead.  ^1  congratulate  you  on  the  victory 
which  is  due  to  your  skill  and  feneigvV'  '.  ~  c  '  * 

LEE  10  J^CKSOX,  at  CliancellortviUe. 


REPRINTED   FROM 

ADVANCE  SHEETS  OF  THE  RICID1MD  EDITION. 


NEW  YORK: 
CHARLES     B.    RICHARDSON, 

596    BROADWAY. 
1803. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  In  the  year  1863, 

BY  CHARLES  B.  RICHARDSON, 

In  the  Clerk's  Oflice  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Unired  States 
for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


RKNNIE,  SHEA  &  LINDSAY, 
STERKOTYPERS  AND  ELECTKOTYJ-KKS, 

81,  P3.  and  8/H'enMe  street, 
NEW  YOKK. 


R.    CRAIG  HEAD, 
Printer, 

81,83&8iCENTKK-8T. 


TO    THE    READER. 


THIS  work  has  been  written  under  disadvantages  which 
entitle  it  to  the  liberal  criticism  of  the  reader.  It  was  un 
dertaken  without  thought  of  the  probable  activity  of  the 
summer  campaign,  and  has  been  composed  in  bivouac — 
by  the  road-side — immediately  before  and  after  engage 
ments — amid  scenes  and  under  circumstances  which  have 
rendered  deliberate  writing  impossible.  This,  and  my  in 
ability  to  correct  the  proof-sheets,  should  excuse  the  errors 
of  the  work. 

All  that  I  claim  for  the  narrative  is  truth.  This  I  think 
it  possesses,  and  the  merit  is  not  trifling.  Beyond  its 
value  as  an  accurate  statement  of  events,  derived  in  the 
main  from  official  documents,  I  claim  nothing  for  it — style 
least  of  all. 

A  religious  paper  has  made  an  incredibly  violent  and 
insulting  attack  upon  the  work  and  the  author,  while  the 
former  was  in  press  and  the  latter  absent  in  the  field. 

To  this  attack  I  have  no  abusive  epithets  to  utter  in  re 
ply.  The  good  people  of  the  South  shall  judge  between  us. 

Some  of  the  material  of  this  sketch  is  original ;  but  the 
matter  illustrating  the  official  reports  has  been  chiefly 
drawn  from  contemporary  publications.  A  considerable 
number  of  these  slips,  some  of  them  very  interesting  and 

227192 


curious,  were  unfortunately  captured  by  the  enemy  about 
a  month  since.  No  MS.  was  lost,  however ;  and  the  pre 
diction  of  friends,  that  the  wrork  would  probably  be  first 
published  in  New  York,  was  not  verified. 

Constant  movements,  great  events,  and  duties  which 
could  not  be  neglected,  have  made  this  book  unequal  to 
the  great  subject  of  which  it  treats.  But  the  intention  of 
the  writer  in  composing  it  was  an  honorable  and  worthy 
one,  as  all  who  know  him,  he  feels  confident,  will  believe. 
CAMP ,  July  21,  1863. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


"  JACKSON  is  dead !" 

Seldom  have  words  penetrated  more  deeply  to  tlie  heart  of  a 
great  nation.  The  people  of  the  Confederate  States  had  begun  to 
regard  this  immortal  leader  as  above  the  reach  of  fate.  He  had 
passed  unhurt  through  such  desperate  contests  ;  his  calm  eyes  had 
surveyed  so  many  hard-fought  battle-fields,  from  the  commence 
ment  of  the  combats  to  their  termination,  that  a  general  conviction 
of  the  hero's  invulnerability  had  impressed  every  heart — no  one 
could  feel  that  the  light  in  those  eyes  of  the  great  soldier  would 
ever  be  quenched.  But  that  Providence  which  decrees  all  things 
wisely  at  last  sent  the  fatal  bullet :  and  the  South  is  called  upon 
to  mourn  the  untimely  death  of  one  who  seemed  to  his  countrymen 
the  chosen  standard-bearer  of  liberty.  After  the  battle  of  Chan- 
cellorsville,  and  while  the  wound  of  the  famous  soldier  attracted  to 
him  the  warmest  sympathy  and  drew  forth  the  earnest  prayers  of 
many  thousands  for  his  recovery,  the  journals  of  the  land  contained 
many  notices  of  his  services  and  genius,  and  his  death  was  alluded 
to  as  a  calamity  too  frightful  to  be  contemplated.  Well  has  one  of 
these  journals  in  speaking  of  Lee  and  Jackson  said  :  "  It  is  an  honor 
to  breathe  the  air  they  breathe.  Together,  they  make  up  a  meas- 
\ire  of  glory  which  no  nation  under  Heaven  ever  surpassed.  Other 
great  leaders  we  have,  to  whom  unstinted  praise  is  due  and  every 
where  gladly  accorded ;  but  the  rays  of  their  fame  converge  and 
accumulate  but  to  add  to  the  dazzling  splendor  that  illuminates  the 
names  of  Lee  and  Jackson. 

"  The  central  figure  of  this  war  is,  beyond  all  question,  that  of 
Robert  E.  Lee.  His,  the  calm,  broad  military  intellect  that  reduced 
the  chaos  after  Donelson  to  form  and  order.  But  Jackson  is  the 
motive  power  that  executes,  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  all  that 
Lee  can  plan.  Lee  is  the  exponent  of  Southern  power  of  command ; 


8  INTRODUCTORY. 

Jackson,  the  expression  of  its  faith  in  God  and  in  itself,  its  terrible 
energy,  its  enthusiasm  and  daring,  its  unconquerable  will,  its  con 
tempt  of  danger  and  fatigue,  its  capacity  to  smite,  as  with  bolts  of 
thunder,  the  cowardly  and  cruel  foe  that  would  trample  under  foot 
its  liberty  and  its  religion. 

"  Jackson  is  no  accidental  manifestation  of  the  powers  of  faith 
and  courage.  He  came  not  by  chance  in  this  day  and  to  this  gen 
eration.  He  was  born  for  a  purpose.  In  this  conviction,  he  rests 
serenely,  awaiting  the  healing  of  his  wounds ;  willing  once  more 
to  hear  the  wild  cheers  of  his  men  as  he  rides  to  the  front ;  or,  if 
that  be  denied  him,  content  to  retire  from  the  field,  a  maimed,  hum 
ble,  simple  Christian  man.  Civil  honor,  were  it  the  highest  in  the 
gift  of  the  country,  could  not  add  one  cubit  to  the  stature  of  his 
glory. 

"  Even  should  he  die,  his  fiery  and  unquailing  spirit  would  sur 
vive  in  his  men.  He  has  infused  into  them  that  which  cannot  die. 
The  leader  who  succeeds  him,  be  he  whom  he  may,  will  be  impelled, 
as  by  a  supernatural  impulse,  to  emulate  his  matchless  deeds. 
Jackson's  men  will  demand  to  be  led  in  '  Stonewall  Jackson's  way.' 
The  leader  who  will  not  or  cannot  comply  with  that  demand,  must 
drop  the  baton  quickly.  Jackson's  corps  will  be  led  forever  by  the 
memory  of  its  great  chieftain." 

Alas !  the  termination  of  his  wound  was  fatal.  The  great  soul 
has  passed  away  from  us :  and  we  are  left  without  his  sagacious 
counsels,  his  splendid  powers  of  execution  ;  his  unerring  judgment, 
and  that  intuitive  genius  for  war  which  made  him,  in  his  sphere, 
the  first  of  living  leaders,  and  ranked  him  with  the  greatest  who 
have  lived  in  all  tide  of  time. 

It  is  the  life  of  this  famous  general  that  we  now  propose  to  write 
— a  popular  and  unstudied  record  of  his  career — for  the  satisfaction 
of  that  honorable  curiosity  which  his  countrymen  feel  in  relation 
to  his  services.  Those  services  need  no  record  indeed  :  for  they  are 
graven  in  imperishable  characters  on  the  tablets  of  every  heart. 
But  some  portions  of  this  great  career  may  have  been  obscured 
amid  the  smoke  and  dust  of  these  hot  days  of  battle :  and  the  ob 
ject  of  these  pages  is  to  review  them  succinctly  and  furnish  some 
personal  details  of  the  hero's  character. 


CONTENTS. 


PAOK 

To  THE  READER 5 

INTRODUCTORY 7 

CHAPTER  I. 
Birth,  Parentage,  and  Early  Services  in  Mexico 13 

CHAPTER  II. 

Professor  at  the  Virginia  Military  Institute — Appointed  Colonel 
in  the  Virginia  Line 17 

CHAPTER  III. 
Engagement  at  Falling  Waters 21 

CHAPTER  IV 
Battle  of  Manassas 25 

CHAPTER  V. 
Jackson's  Farewell  to  the  Old  Brigade 32 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Winter  Expedition  to  Romney 35 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Battle  of  Kernstown 89 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Battle  of  McDowell , 43 


10  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IX.  PAGB 

The  Battle  of  Winchester 49 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  Battle  of  Cross  Keys  62 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Battle  of  Port  Republic G8 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Illustrations — Romney  :  Kernstown 73 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Illustrations — McDowell :  Winchester 81 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Illustrations — Cross  Keys  :  Port  Republic 99 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Jackson  in  June,  1862 107 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Cold  Harbor 114 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Retreat  of  McClellan  to  Malvern  Hill 121 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Pope 135 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Cedar  Run 147 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Details. . .  153 


CONTENTS.  1 1 

CHAPTER  XXI.  PAGB 

The  March  to  Manassas 159 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Jackson  at  Bay 173 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
Manassas :  August  29,  1862 177 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Manassas  :  August  30,  1862 183 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Invasion  of  Maryland 195 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Sharpsburg 207 

CHAPTER  XXVH. 
The  Army  Resting 219 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
Fredericksburg 225 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Winter  Quarters  at  Moss  Neck 236 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
Hooker  Advances 241 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
The  Wilderness— Chancellorsville 247 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
"  It  is  all  Right "... 263 


12  CONTENTS. 

\ 
CHAPTER  XXXIII.  PAQK 

Jackson,  the  Soldier  and  the  Man 270 


APPENDIX  I. 

Operations  of  General  Jackson's  Command  from  September 
5th  to  September  27th,  18G2.— Official  Report 289 

APPENDIX  II. 
"  The  Old  Stonewall  Brigade" 301 


LIFE 


STONEWALL  JACKSON. 


CHAPTER  L 

BIRTH,  PARENTAGE,  AND    EARLY    SERVICES    IN    MEXICO. 

• 

THOMAS  JONATHAN  JACKSON  was  born  January  21,  1824, 
in  Clarksburg,  Harrison  county,  Virginia.  His  great  grand 
father,  an  Englishman  by  birth,  emigrated  to  the  western 
portion  of  Virginia;  and  Edward  Jackson,  grandfather  of  the 
General,  was  surveyor  of  Lewis  county  for  a  long  time,  repre 
senting  it  in  the  Legislature.  His  son,  Jonathan  Jackson, 
father  of  the  General,  moved  to  Clarksburg,  where  he  studied 
and  commenced  the  practice  of  law  with  his  cousin,  Judge 
John  G.  Jackson,  acquiring  considerable  reputation,  and  mar 
rying  Miss  Neal,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Neal,  of  Wood  county. 
He,  however,  became  embarrassed  in  his  circumstances  by  go 
ing  security  for  friends,  and  all  his  property  was  eventually 
swept  away.  When  he  died,  in  1827,  his  children  were  left 
penniless.  These  children  were  four  in  number — two  sons 
and  two  daughters — Thomas,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  being 
the  youngest,  and  at  the  time  but  three  years  olH. 

The  child  was  thus  left  upon  the  very  threshold  of  life  to 
learn  the  hard  lesson  of  poverty.  But  this  lesson,  thus  early 
learned,  bore  ample  fruits  in  a  soil  so  rich  and  auspicious  to 


14  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

the  finer  growth  of  the  human  soul.  The  young  man  was 
taught  from  the  very  commencement  of  his  earthly  career  to 
make  up  by  honest  toil  for  the  neglect  of  fortune,  and  in 
stead  of  frittering  away  his  time  and  faculties  in  the  haunts 
•of  pleasure  or  the  frivolous  pursuits  of  youths  generally,  to 
turn  his  attention  to  the  more  ennobling  aims  of  life,  and  fit 
himself  for  that  career  in  which  he  was  to  secure  his  great 
fame. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  his  parents  he  was  taken  to  the 
home  of  an  uncle  in  Lewis  county,  and  remained  at  this  place 
— the  family  homestead  of  the  Jacksons,  in  which  his  father 
had  been  born — until  he  reached  the  age  of  seventeen.  Here 
he  labored  on  the  farm  in  summer  and  went  to  school  three 
months  in  the  winter,  gaining  the  rudiments  of  a  plain  En 
glish  education — what  he  acquired  subsequently  was  due  to 
his  stay  at  West  Point,  and  his  ultimate  studies  at  the  Vir^ 
ginia  Military  Institute.  His  habits  of  life,  even  at  this  early 
age,  are  said  to  have  been  grave  and  serious — his  discharge  of 
every  duty  conscientious  and  complete.  He  assisted  his  un 
cle  in  the  management  of  the  farm ;  and  soon  secured  among 
the  residents  of  the  county  a  high  character  for  industry,  in 
telligence,  and  probity.  His  orphan  condition  excited  great 
sympathy  among  the  neighbors,  who  knew  and  respected  the 
good  character  of  the  Jackson  family;  and  every  assistance 
was  rendered  him  in  his  struggle  to  carve  out  his  own  path 
way  in  life,  and  secure  an  honorable  independence.  A  proof 
of  this  friendly  sympathy  is  contained  in  the  fact  that  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  he  was  elected  constable  of  the  county  of  Lewis, 
the  duties  of  which  office  he  discharged  with  intelligence  and. 
credit. 

The  inclinations  of  the  young  man  seem,  however,  to  have 
pointed  early  towards  arms  as  a  profession.  Some  hereditary 
instinct  of  his  family  for  war  probably  developed  itself  in  the 
grave  and  serious  youth— but  to  those  who  believe  as  we  do 
that  a  mightier  hand  than  man's  shapes  all  human  events, 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  15 

this  early  inclination  will  appear  to  have  been  the  means  of 
fitting  him  for  the  grand  part  he  was  eventually  to  have  in 
the  assertion  of  Southern  liberties.  It  is  certain  that  young 
Jackson  found  himself  impelled  toward  a  military  career,  and 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  he  set  out  for  Washington  on  foot, 
to  secure,  if  possible,  an  appointment  as  cadet  at  West  Point. 
This  he  was  enabled  to  do  through  the  instrumentality  of  some 
political  friends*,  a*nd  he  entered  upon  his  studies  there  in  1842. 

In  July,  1846,  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  graduated  with 
distinction,  was  brevetted  2d  Lieutenant,  and  immediately  or 
dered  to  report  for  duty  in  Mexico,  under  General  Taylor. 
He  served  under  that  commander  until  Gen.  Scott  took  the 
field,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  command  of  the  latter. 
His  military  career  was  distinguished,  and  his  promotion  rapid. 
In  August,  1847,  he  was  made  1st  Lieutenant  in  Magruder's 
Battery ;  brevetted  Captain  "  for  gallant  and  meritorious  con 
duct  in  battles  of  Contreras  and  Churubusco,"  August  20, 
1847  (Aug.,  1848),  and  brevetted  Major  "for  gallant  and 
meritorious  conduct  in  battle  of  Chepul tepee,"  September  13, 
1847  (March,  1849).  No  other  officer  had  so  distinguished 
himself  and  risen  so  rapidly  as  the  young  Virginian.  The  un 
known  youth  had,  in  this  brief  space  of  time,  attracted  the 
attention  of  his  generals,  and  become  one  of  the  most  promis 
ing  young  officers  of  the  army. 

The  climate  of  the  country  had,  however,  told  powerfully 
upon  a  frame  at  no  time  very  robust.  His  health  became  so 
impaired  that  he  was  unable  to  discharge  his  duties — and,  with 
the  high  sense  of  honor  which  marked  his  character,  he,  on 
the  conclusion  of  peace,  resigned  his  commission.  (Feb.  29, 
1852.)  Returning  to  Virginia,  he  obtained  a  Professorship 
in  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  and  continued  in  the  per 
formance  of  the  important  duties  of  this  position  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  present  war.  Soon  after  entering  upon 
his  duties  at  the  Military  Institute,  he  married  Miss  Junkin, 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Junkin,  Principal  of  the  Washing- 


16  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

ton  College.  This  lady  and  her  children  died,  and  he  was 
afterwards  married  to  Miss  Morrison,  of  North  Carolina — his 
only  living  child,  a  daughter,  but  recently  born,  being  the  sole 
issue  of  this  marriage. 

Few  records  of  the  brief  career  of  the  young  soldier  in  Mex 
ico  remain,  tending  to  throw  any  light  upon  his  personal  char 
acter — that  unique  individuality  which  has  since  attracted  to 
him  the  eyes  of  the  whole  world.  The  brief  official  recogni 
tion  of  his  "gallant  and  meritorious  conduct"  remains;  but 
beyond  this  we  find  little.  His  profound  religious  sentiments, 
it  is  however  known,  were  at  this  time  fully  developed.  lie 
did  not,  like  many  other  Christians,  confine  himself  to  barren 
faith,  but  actively  exerted  himself  in  the  cause  of  God.  He 
restrained  all  profanity  in  his  camp,  welcomed  army  colpor 
teurs,  distributed  tracts,  and  endeavored  to  have  every  regi 
ment  in  the  army  supplied  with  a  chaplain.  "  He  was  vul 
garly  sneered  at,"  it  is  said,  "  as  a  fatalist ;  his  habits  of 
soliloquy  were  derided  as  superstitious  conversations  with  a 
familiar  spirit;  but  the  confidence  he  had  in  his  destiny  was 
the  unfailing  mark  of  genius,  and  adorned  the  Christian  faith 
which  made  him  believe  that  he  had  a  distinct  mission  of 
duty,  in  which  he  should  be  spared  for  the  ends  of  Provi 
dence."  It  would  seem,  indeed,  that  even  at  this  early  period 
of  his  life,  he  had  fully  embraced  that  doctrine  of  Predestina 
tion  which  undoubtedly  marked  his  character  very  strongly 
in  latter  years.  No  intelligent  person  has  ever  attributed  to 
him  the  vulgar  and  shocking  sentiment  of  "  fatalism" — but  it 
seems  certain  that  from  an  early  period  in  his  career,  he  es 
poused  the  Presbyterian  doctrine  of  Providential  supervision 
and  direction  of  human  affairs,  to  the  fullest  extent;  and  had 
but  one  feeling,  which  may  be  accurately  summed  up  and  ex 
pressed  in  the  words,  "  Do  your  duty,  and  leave  the  rest  to 
God." 

It  is  said  that  while  in  Mexico,  a  battery  of  the  enemy  was 
pouring  a  storm  of  shot  and  shell  down  a  road,  along  which 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  17 

he  wished  his  men  to  advance.  They  remained  under  cover, 
out  of  the  fire,  shaken  in  nerve  and  fearing  to  venture  forth. 
This  was  excessively  distasteful  and  mortifying  to  their  young 
commander,  and  leaving  them,  he  advanced  to  the  road,  and 
calmly  walked  up  and  down  among  the  plunging  shot  and 
shell,  calling  out  coolly,  "  Come  on — this  is  nothing — you  see 
they  can't  hurt  me  !" 

It  will'thus  be  seen  that,  either  from  native  courage  or  that 
sentiment  of  predestination  alluded  to,  young  Jackson  had 
already  acquired  the  dauntless  nerve  and  coolness  which  after 
wards  rendered  him  so  famous. 

The  penetrating  eyes  of  Napoleon,  had  he  seen  that  youth, 
calmly  walking  amid  the  heavy  fire  of  the  enemy's  artillery, 
and  declaring  coolly  that  it  "  could  not  hurt  him,"  would  have 
discerned  much  in  his  face — would  have  understood  that  this 
young  man  would  "  go  far." 


CHAPTER  II. 

PROFESSOR    AT   THE    VIRGINIA    MILITARY    INSTITUTE APPOINTED 

COLONEL    IN    THE    VIRGINIA    LINE. 

JACKSON  remained  at  the  Military  Institute  in  discharge  of 
his  duties  until  the  spring  of  1861.  Then  the  time  for  the 
full  display  of  the  great  faculties  of  his  soul  came.  Peace 
might  have  left  forever  hidden  the  profound  and  splendid 
genius  of  the  man,  but  the  bloody  flower  of  war  was  about 
to  burst  into  bloom,  and  the  quiet,  "eccentric"  professor  was 
to  shape  and  mould  the  great  events  of  a  mighty  period  in 
the  history  of  the  world.  Cromwell  might  have  remained  a 
brewer — Jackson  an  unknown  professor;  but  for  both  of 
these  iron  souls  Providence  had  decreed  and  shaped  their 
work. 


18  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

The  year  1861  opened,  big  with  portents.  The  air  seemed 
to  be  rilled  with  that  mysterious  electricity  which  preludes 
revolution  and  battle.  Great  events  were  on  the  march,  and 
the  minds  of  men  were  aroused  and  excited ;  all  hearts  beat 
fast  with  the  ardor  of  the  time.  In  January  the  "  Star  of 
the  West"  was  fired  upon  in  Charleston  harbor,  and  Missis 
sippi  followed  South  Carolina,  seceding  from  the  Union. 
Florida,  Alabama,  Georgia,  Louisiana  followed  in  the  same 
month,  and  military  movements  began  at  many  points.  Early 
in  February  Jefferson  Davis  was  elected  President  of  the  Con 
federate  States;  and  on  the  4th  of  March  Abraham  Lincoln 
was  inaugurated  President  of  the  United  States.  State  after 
State  seceded ;  a  permanent  Constitution  of  the  Confederate 
States  was  adopted  March  11,  and  on  April  13th  Fort  Sumter 
surrendered  to  General  Beauregard.  From  that  moment  the 
issue  was  clearly  joined,  and  all  intelligent  minds  perceived 
that  it  meant  civil  war.  The  Confederate  States  accepted 
it — marshalled  their  forces — organized  for  the  general  defence 
— and  entered  upon  the  great  struggle  with  grave  and  serious 
hearts,  but  profound  reliance  on  that  God  of  Hosts  who 
gives  not  the  battle  to  the  strong  or  the  race  to  the  swift, 
but  upholds  the  righteous  cause  against  all  assailants,  working 
its  deliverance. 

Up  to  the  17th  April  the  galaxy  of  the  Confederate  States 
wanted  one  of  its  brightest  luminaries.  The  Southern  cross 
was  yet  without  the  central  light  which  was  to  complete  its 
glories.  Virginia,  the  soul  of  revolution  in  the  past — the 
proud,  defiant,  chivalric  sovereignty  which  had  been  hitherto 
the  first  to  throw  down  the  gauntlet  of  resistance  to  oppres 
sion — Virginia,  the  mother  of  warriors  and  statesmen,  re 
mained  inactive,  lagging  in  the  rear.  Some  day  the  causes 
of  this  phenomenon  will  be  investigated,  the  actors  in  that 
drama  delineated,  and  "  every  one  shall  have  his  own." 
Certain  it  is  that  the  beautiful  Virgin  of  the  Virginia  Shield 
hesitated  long  to  lift  the  spear  in  defence  of  her  chastity, 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  19 

and  it  was  not  until  a  brutal  and  insolent  foe  came  in  direct 
contact  with  her  pure  person  that  she  woke  to  the  danger,  and 
raised  her  arm. 

The  Ordinance  of  Secession  was  passed  on  the  17th  April, 
and  the  Virginia  Convention  took  immediate  steps  to  operate 
against  the  enemy  in  the  Valley.  It  was  a  matter  of  primary 
importance  to  drive  the  Federal  forces  from  Harper's  Ferry, 
and  secure  the  stores  there,  and  this  was  promptly  undertaken. 
We  had  only  a  few  volunteer  troops  to  move  with  against  the 
U.  S.  regulars  ;  but  Virginia  had  a  well-grounded  confidence 
in  the  courage  of  her  population,  and  the  event  of  the  move 
ment  was  looked  to  with  confidence. 

With  this  month  of  April,  1861,  again  Appears  upon  the 
scene  the  young  soldier  who  had  so  greatly  distinguished 
himself  in  Mexico,  and  since  that  time  had  been  so  quietly 
pursuing  the  beaten  path  of  his  duties  at  the  Virginia  Mili 
tary  Institute.  Jackson  was  now  thirty-seven  years  of  age. 
He  was  scarcely  known  beyond  the  walls  of  the  Institute  in 
which  he  continued  to  perform  his  official  duties  with  military 
regularity,  and  if  the  outer  world  heard  of  him  at  all,  it  was 
only  through  jests  or  witticisms  directed  against  his  pecu 
liarities  of  character  and  demeanor  by  some  of  the  students 
who,  with  the  love  of  fun  proverbial  in  their  class,  had  much 
to  say  of  the  eccentricities  and  odd  ways  of  "Old  Tom 
Jackson."  The  universal  tendency  to  caricature  the  pecu 
liarities  of  a  man  of  original  genius  is  well  known — to  make 
fun  of  those  very  great  traits  which  separate  such  men  from 
the  common-place  mass  of  human  beings — and  Jackson  re 
ceived  more  than  a  fair  share  of  this  undesirable  attention  on 
the  part  of  his  students.  He  was  a  martinet  in  the  perform 
ance  of  his  duties — administered  things  in  his  department 
"  on  a  war  footing,"  and  no  doubt  caused  the  volatile  young 
men  whom  he  taught,  to  regard  him  as  a  most  unreasonable 
and  exacting  stickler  for  useless  military  etiquette  and  cere 
mony.  But  he  was  conscientious  in  this  extreme  attention  to 


20  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

little  things,  and  lie  was  clearly  right.  The  Institute  was  a 
military  school — its  chief  value  consisted  in  the  habits  of 
military  obedience  which  it  impressed  upon  the  ductile  char 
acters  of  the  youth  of  the  Commonwealth— and  Jackson  no 
doubt  regarded  any  relaxation  of  the  rules  of  the  establish 
ment  as  tending  directly  to  strike  at  the  intentions  of  its 
founders,  and  destroy  its  usefulness.  We  have  heard  that  he 
once  continued  to  wear  a  thick  woollen  uniform  late  into  the 
summer,  and  when  asked  by  one  of  the  professors  why  he 
did  so,  replied  that  he  had  seen  an  order  prescribing  that 
dress,  but  none  had  been  exhibited  to  him  directing  it  to  be 
changed.  This  was  the  source  of  some  amusement  to  the 
young  gentlemen  %ho  had  no  idea  of  military  "  orders"  and 
the  implicit  obedience  which  a  good  soldier  considers  it  his 
bounden  duty  to  pay  to  them.  But  was  not  Jackson  right? 
Let  the  thousands  who,  in  this  bitter  and  arduous  struggle, 
have  been  taught  by  -hard  experience  the  necessity  of  strict, 
unquestioning  compliance  with  all  orders,  to  the  very  letter, 
reply  to  the  question. 

Jackson  thus  remained  a  soldier  as  before — as  strict  in  the 
performance  of  duty,  and  as  exacting  in  regard  to  others,  as 
if  he  was  still  in  the  field.  It  is  certain,  too,  that  his  reli 
gious  convictions  had  become  strengthened  and  established 
as  the  controlling  influence  of  his  life.  He  had  long  since 
become  a  devout  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
was  a  most  devoted  and  exemplary  Christian — looking  to 
God,  and  "  lifting  up  hands  of  prayer"  for  guidance  in  all 
things  from  the  supreme  ruler  of  the  universe.  We  shall 
have  occasion,  subsequently,  to  speak  more  particularly  of  this 
humble  and  devoted  piety — of  the  profound  submission  of 
this  great  man's  heart  to  the  will  of  his  Maker.  Never  has 
that  unwavering  trust  deserted  him,  in  the  gloomiest  scenes 
of  the  war  ;  and  in  his  last  moments  he  said  calmly  that  he 
had  no  repinings  or  regrets  for  the  loss  of  his  arm ;  it  was 
God's  will,  and  whether  his  life  was  spared  or  not,  he  sub- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  21 

mitted  himself  with  humility  and   entire  confidence  to  the 
mercy  of  his  Redeemer. 

Such  was  the  man  to  whom  the  authorities  of  Virginia 
looked  when  war  threatened  her  frontier  and  a  stout-hearted 
leader  was  required  to  drive  back  the  enemy.  Gov.  Letchei 
will  live  forever  in  history  as  the  official  who  conferred  the 
first  military  commission  in  the  Southern  army  on  Jackson. 
He  appointed  him  Colonel,  the  Virginia  Convention  unani 
mously  approved  the  appointment,  and  Jackson  speedily  pro 
ceeded  to  Harper's  Ferry,  and  took  command  of  the  small 
"Army  of  Observation"  there  on  the  3d  of  May,  1861. 
Upon  the  approach  of  this  force,  Lieut.  Jones,  commanding 
the  Federal  forces,  attempted  the  destruction  of  the  armory 
and  government  works,  and  evacuated  the  place,  which  was 
immediately  occupied  by  the  Virginia  troops. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ENGAGEMENT    AT    FALLING    WATERS. 

JACKSON  remained  in  command  of  the  forces  in  the  Valley 
until  May  23d,  when  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  formerly 
Quartermaster-general  U.  S.  Army,  and  an  officer  of  tried 
experience  and  courage,  arrived  and  took  command.  The 
force  which  Jackson  thus  surrendered  the  command  of  to 
General  Johnston  consisted  of  nine  regiments  and  two  bat 
talions  of  infantry,  four  companies  of  artillery,  with  sixteen 
pieces  without  caissons,  harness,  or  horses,  and  about  three 
hundred  cavalry.  All  were  undisciplined,  several  regiments 
without  accoutrements,  and  the  supply  of  ammunition  was 
entirely  inadequate  for  active  operations. 

But  the  character  of  the  men  who  commanded  this  volun 
teer  force  was  a  sure  guaranty  that  all  defects  would  speedily 


22  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

be  remedied.  Johnston  was  a  thorough  soldier,  and  had  his 
whole  heart  in  the  cause ;  Stuart,  who  commanded  the  cav 
alry,  was  characterized  by  untiring  energy,  clear  judgment, 
and  extraordinary  powers  of  moulding  and  infusing  his  own 
brave  spirit  into  the  hearts  of  his  men  ;  and  Pendleton,  who 
was  in  charge  of  the  artillery,  was  an  excellent  officer,  with  a 
complete  knowledge  of  military  matters,  derived  from  his 
early  education  at  West  Point.  The  deficiency  in  harness 
for  the  artillery  was  readily  supplied  by  the  use  of  ropes  and 
farm  gearing ;  the  cavalry  .were  taught  that  more  depended 
upon  stout  hearts,  strong  arms  and  the  elan  of  the  true  cava 
lier,  than  on  the  number  or  excellence  of  weapons ;  and  into 
the  ardent  youths  of  the  infantry  was  infused  the  stern  cour 
age,  the  unyielding  fortitude,  the  daring,  the  obstinacy,  the 
unshrinking  nerve  of  Jackson.  With  Stuart  in  command  of 
his  cavalry,  Pendleton  in  charge  of  the  artillery,  and  Jackson 
to  lead  his  infantry  force,  General  Johnston  had  an  auspicious 
augury  of  the  splendid  results  which,  in  spite  of  its  small 
numbers,  the  army  would  surely  achieve.  Jackson  had  al 
ready  begun  to  mould  his  troops  into  that  impenetrable  pha 
lanx  which  stood  stern  and  unbroken  afterwards,  amid  scenes 
of  the  most  frightful  carnage,  and  whose  battle-flag,  pierced 
with  balls  and  torn  with  shell,  has  never  yet  gone  down  before 
the  foe.  There,  in  the  valley,  he  organized  and  gave  its 
character  to  that  brigade  which  afterwards  took  his  own  name 
of  "  Stonewall,"  and.  as  the  "  Stonewall  Brigade,"  is  known 
1  now  and  admired  for  its  unshrinking  courage  and  unsurpassed 
efficiency  throughout  the  civilized  world. 

The  pause  in  the  storm  did  not  last  very  long.  Early  in 
June  General  Johnston  was  advised  of  the  advance  of  Pat 
terson  with  a  heavy  force,  and  he  made  arrangements  imme 
diately  for  the  evacuation  of  Harper's  Ferry.  A  glance  at 
the  -map,  and  a  very  slight  knowledge  of  the  ground,  will 
exhibit  the  necessity  of  this  movement.  Harper's  Ferry  is 
untenable  by  any  force  not  strong  enough  to  take  the  field 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  23 

against  an  invading  army  and  hold  both  sides  of  the  Potomac. 
It  is  in  a  triangle ;  its  only  strong  position,  in  the  rear  of  the 
town,  being  exposed  to  enfilade  and  reverse  fires  from  the 
Maryland  Heights ;  and  the  place  is  liable  to  be  flanked  with 
ease  by  an  enemy,  crossing  at  Williamsport  or  other  point 
above — Leesburg  or  other  point  below.  General  Johnston 
had  information  from  "the  indefatigable  Stuart,"  as  he 
styles  him,  who  observed  the  whole  river  front  with  his  cav 
alry,  from  Point  of  Rocks  to  beyond  Willinmsport,  that  Pat 
terson  was  within  a  few  hours'  march  of  the  Potomac,  and 
McClellan  supposed  to  be  advancing  from  Western  Virginia 
to  form  a  junction  with  him  at  Romney ;  and,  in  consequence 
of  this  intelligence,  he  wisely  determined  to  evacuate  a  posi 
tion  which  it  "perfectly  suited  the  enemy's  views"  to  have 
him  occupy,  and  retire  to  Winchester,  his  true  base  of  opera 
tions,  where  all  the  great  highways  converged.  Thence  he 
could  oppose  McClellan  advancing  from  Romney,  and  Patter 
son  from  Martinsburg — had  the  Valley  to  fall  back  along  if 
necessary — but,  better  than  all,  the  way  was  open  to  Beaure- 
gard,  who  might  need  his  assistance  at  Manassas.  The  new 
field  of  operations  was  chosen  with  the  eye  of  the  true  sol 
dier — from  a  veritable  trap  General  Johnston  emerged  into 
an  open  field,  where  he  could  advance  or  retire  at  will,  free 
as  a  ranger  of  the  prairie,  to  strike,  or  stand  on  the  defensive; 
and  this  new  position  he  hastened  to  occupy.  Colonel,  now 
Major-general,  A.  P.  Hill  was  dispatched  with  two  regiments 
via  Winchester  towards  Romney;  and  Johnston,  after  send 
ing  off  all  the  heavy  baggage  and  public  property,  destroyed 
the  bridges  over  the  Potomac,  and  fell  back  towards  Win 
chester.  A  flank  movement  from  Charlestown  towards 
Bunker's  Hill,  a  small  town  on  the  Martinsburg  turnpike, 
frightened  General  Patterson  greatly.  That  commander  re 
treated,  and  General  Johnston  marched  to  Winchester.  He 
had  scarcely  arrived,  when  information  reached  him  that 
Patterson  was  again  advancing,  and  Jackson,  with  his  bri- 


24  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

gade,  was  sent  to  the  neighborhood  of  Martinsburg,  to  sup 
port  Stuart's  Cavalry.  Jackson's  orders  were  to  destroy  such 
of  the  rolling  stock  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  as 
could  not  be  brought  off,  but,  if  the  enemy  appeared,  to  retire 
before  him  to  Winchester. 

The  two  men  who  have  since  attracted  so  many  eyes  to 
their  great  deeds,  and  whose  friendship  remained  close  and 
warm  to  the  moment  when  one  of  them  passed  away,  were 
now  thrown  together  in  front  of  the  Federal  army — Stuart 
with  his  cavalry,  and  Jackson  with  his  infantry ! — a  danger 
ous  combination,  whatever  the  force  of  the  enemy  ;  and  so, 
indeed,  it  proved.  Stuart,  living  in  the  saddle,  and  watching 
the  enemy  with  lynx-eyed  vigilance,  suffered  no  movement  of 
Patterson's  to  escape  him,  and,  on  one  occasion,  surprised  a 
whole  company,  who  were  so  much  startled  and  alarmed  by 
the  officer's  stentorian  command  to  "Throw  down  their 
arms !"  that  the  men,  too,  fell  on  their  faces.  Finding  the 
enemy  advancing  in  heavy  force,  Jackson,  in  obedience  to 
orders,  fell  back  before  him.  It  has  never  been  the  habit  of 
General  Jackson,  however,  to  omit  any  opportunity  of  striking 
a  blow  at  the  enemy.  Whether  in  advancing  or  retiring, 
one  of  his  cardinal  maxims  has  been  to  inflict  all  the  injury 
possible  upon  his  foe;  and  this  practice  he  inaugurated 
at  Falling  Waters.  At  that  point  he  turned  upon  the 
heavy  column  of  Patterson,  posted  the  5th  Virginia  and 
Pendleton's  Battery  in  a  skilfully  selected  position,  and  en 
gaged  the  advanced  force  of  the  Federal  army  in  an  obstinately 
contested  fight.  The  artillery  was  handled  admirably,  under 
the  direct  supervision  of  Jackson,  and  the  5th  Virginia  fought 
like  veterans.  The  ground  was  held  stubbornly,  heavy  loss 
inflicted  on  the  enemy,  and  the  Federals  held  completely  in 
check.  It  was  only  when  he  was  about  to  be  outflanked  that 
Jackson  slowly  retired,  bringing  off  forty-five  prisoners,  and 
scarcely  losing  a  man. 

The  engagement  at   Falling  Waters  was   the   first  which 


- 

LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  25 

took  place  between  the  two  armies,  and  the  augury  of  future 
success  was  auspicious.  Jackson  had  retired  in  a  way  pecu 
liar  to  himself,  had  felt  the  enemy  with  a  roughness  which 
gave  them  little  desire  for  a  repetition  of  the  ceremony,  and 
his  men  saw  that  in  their  silent  leader  they  had  to  do  with  a 
thorough  soldier,  whose  nerve  and  judgment  wrere  equally 
admirable,  and  in  whose  hands  the  force  would  be  .fought 
with  consummate  courage  and  skill.  Jackson  was  always 
Jackson — in  small  things  as  in  great — in  the  skirmish  as  in 
the  great  battle — and  the  same  eagle  eye  which  chose  the 
ground  at  Kernstown,  Port  Republic,  and  Groveton,  ran  along 
the  thin  line  and  saw  that  all  was  right  at  Falling  Waters. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BATTLE    OF    MAXASSAS. 

Bur  we  linger  too  long  amid  these  early  scenes  of  the  great 
soldier's  career.  Mightier  events  were  on  the  march,  and  the 
Federal  government  was  marshalling  its  huge  masses  to  hurl 
them  upon  the  main  body  of  the  "  rebels"  at  Manassas.  Here 
Jackson  was  to  display  in  their  fullest  extent  those  heroic 
qualities  of  stubborn  courage  and  dauntless  resolution  which 
characterized  him;  to  win  the  name  of  "Stonewall"  which 
will  cling  to  him  forever;  and  to  arouse  that  enthusiasm  which 
in  the  latter  months  of  his  life  rendered  him  the  idol  of  the 
popular  heart.  He  continued  to  march  and  countermarch  in 
front  of  Patterson,  whom  Johnston  was  never  in  a  condition 
to  attack — the  Federal  force  amounting  to  about  32,000;  un 
til,  on  the  18th  of  July,  a  dispatch  reached  Winchester,  an 
nouncing  that  the  Northern  army  was  advancing  on  Manassas. 
Gen.  Johnston  was  directed,  if  practicable,  to  send  his  sick  back 
to  Culpepper  Court-house,  and  go  to  Beauregard's  assistance. 

2 


26  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

The  good  judgment  shown  by  Gen.  Johnston  in  his  evacua 
tion  of  Harper's  Ferry  now  became  apparent.  The  road  tc 
Manassas  was  open,  and  he  speedily  took  steps  to  reinforce  the 
army  of  the  Potomac.  To  be  able  to  do  this  it  was  necessary 
first  to  defeat  Patterson,  or  to  elude  him.  The  latter  course 
was  chosen,  and  intrusting  the  disposition  of  the  cavalry  to 
Stuart  to  cover  the  movement,  Johnston  left  Winchester  to  be 
defended  by  the  militia  of  the  region  in  earthworks,  and  com 
menced  his  march  by  way  of  Ashby's  Gap,  toward  the  East. 
Stuart,  posting  a  cordon  of  pickets  from  Smithfield,  along  by 
Summit  Point  and  Rippon  to  the  Shenandoah,  completely 
concealed  the  change  of  base;  and  Johnston's  little  army 
wended  its  way  towards  Manassas. 

The  valley  region  will  long  be  alive  with  the  traditions  of 
this  great  flank  movement,  and  the  spirit  exhibited  by  the 
men.  They  had  so  often  formed  line  of  battle  in  front  of  Pat 
terson,  only  to  retire  afterwards  without  fighting,  that  the 
troops  nearly  broke  out  in  open  murmurs  «^ainst  their  com 
mander.  They  did  not  know  that  frequently,  when  his  brist 
ling  guns  threatened  the  foe  with  their  grim  muzzles  from 
every  hillock,  those  guns  were  without  a  single  round  of  am 
munition  ;  and  that  no  one  could  be  more  disappointed  at  the 
necessity  which  existed  for  retiring  than  their  general.  Now, 
however,  when  the  order  for  a  rapid  march  came,  the  troops 
perceived  in  the  air,  so  to  speak,  the  long  looked-for  odor  of 
battle.  They  sn'uffed  it  up  eagerly  ;  and  went  on  their  way 
actually  dancing  for  joy,  and  with  deafening  cheers.  Through 
Frederick  and  Clarke,  past  Millwood,  wading  the  Shenandoah 
and  toiling  up  the  rough  pathway  at  Ashby's  Gap,  they  went 
upon  their  way,  without  rations,  ignorant  of  their  destina 
tion,  but  knowing  one  thing  only,  that  the  moment  for  action 
had  arrived.  On  the  way  a  message  from  Beauregard  reached 
Johnston  by  an  officer  who  killed  his  horse  to  carry  it — 
"If  you  wish  to  help  me,  now  is  the  time."  Johnston  has 
tened  on — his  troops  half  famished,  but  "  game  "  to  the  last. 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  27 

Stuart  drew  in  his  pickets;  slowly  put  his  little  column  in 
motion  to  cover  the  rear,  and  having  passed  last  through  the 
mountains,  pushed  on  to  the  front  again.  At  Piedmont  the 
exhausted  infantry  was  placed  upon  a  train  of  the  Manassas 
Gap  Railroad — the  cavalry  and  artillery  continuing  their 
march.  Gen.  Johnston  reached  Manassas  about  noon,  on  the 
20th  July,  preceded  by  the  7th  and  8th  Georgia  and  Jackson's 
brigade — the  President  of  the  railroad  assuring  him  that  the 
remainder  of  his  force  embarked  on  the  cars  should  arrive 
during  the  day. 

The  complicated  and  exciting  details  of  the  first  great  battle 
of  Manassas  need  not  be  given  in  this  memoir  of  one  of  the 
actors  therein,  prominent  as  he  was  among  the  heroic  souls 
who  upon  that  day  rolled  back  the  great  tide  of  invasion,  pil 
lage,  and  rapine.  Gen.  Johnston  being  the  senior  in  rank, 
took  command  of  the  entire  forces,  but  owing  to  Gen.  Beau- 
regard's  superior  knowledge  of  the  ground,  approved  all  his 
plans,  and  directed  their  execution  under  Beauregard's  com 
mand. 

Jackson  with  his  brigade  was  placed  in  rear  of  Gen.  Long- 
street  near  Blackburn's  Ford,  the  scene  of  the  battle  of  the 
18th.  Let  us  look  at  the  composition  of  this  force  which*was 
on  that  day  to  win  the  name  of  the  "  Old  Stonewall  Brigade," 
and  niche*  itself  in  history  forever.  It  consisted  of  the  2d 
Virginia,  Col.  Allen ;  the  4th  Virginia,  Col.  James  L.  Preston  ; 
the  5th  Virginia,  Col.  Harper;  the  2*7th  Virginia,  Lieut.-col. 
Echols ;  and  the  33d  Virginia,  Col.  Gumming.  It  embraced 
the  flower  of  the  young  men  of  the  Valley  of  Virginia — the 
best  and  bravest  youths  of  all  the  land — and  was  to  show  by 
its  decimated  ranks,  and  the  entire  disappearance  finally  of 
every  one  of  its  original  officers,  with  what  heroic  courage  it 
opposed  its  bosom  to  every  danger.  It  was  2,611  strong;  and 
was  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  posted,  as  we  have  said,  in  rear 
of  Longstreet,  behind  the  skirting  of  pines  near  Blackburn's 
and  Mitchell's  Fords. 


28  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

From  this  position,  however,  Jackson  was,  at  seven  in  the 
morning,  ordered  to  move  more  to  the  left,  between  Bonhain's 
left  and  Cocke's  right,  to  support  either  in  case  the  enemy 
attacked.  He  remained  here  until  ten  or  eleven,  when  he 
rapidly  pushed  forward  with  his  brigade  to  support  Bee,  Bartow, 
and  Evans,  whose  commands,  exhausted  by  their  desperate 
contest  during  the  whole  forenoon,  were  mingled  and  in  disor 
der.  Taking  position  below  the  brim  of  the  plateau,  nearly 
east  of  the  Henry  House,  and  to  the  left  of  the  woods  occupied 
by  the  weary  commands  above  mentioned,  Jackson  opened 
with  his  artillery,  with  great  effect,  and  held  the  enemy  in 
check  until  Gen.  Johnston  came  up,  with  Gen.  Beauregard,  and 
took  direct  command  of  the  shattered  forces,  which  he  led  in 
person  to  the  charge,  the  colors  of  the  4th  Alabama  at  his  side. 
The  presence  of  Johnston  and  Beauregard  acted  upon  the 
forces  like  a  charm.  As  they  galloped  up  and  down  the  lines, 
the  men  cheered  wildly  and  seemed  burning  to  renew  the 
contest.  A  new  line  of  battle  was  instantly  formed — with  Bee 
and  Evans  on  the  right;  Jackson  in  the  centre,  with  four 
regiments  and  thirteen  pieces  of  artillery;  and  on  the  left, 
Gartrell,  Smith,  Falkner,  Fisher,  and  other  commanders  of 
regiments  or  battalions.  The  force  which  thus  confronted  the 
overwhelmning  columns  of  the  enemy  consisted  of  about  6,500 
infantry  and  artillerists,  and  two  companies  of  StuaPt's  cavalry. 
The  enemy's  force  which  now  bore  hotly  and  confidently  down 
on  the  little  band  of  Southerners,  was  by  their  own  official 
history  of  the  day,  20,000  infantry,  seven  companies  of  regular 
cavalry  and  twenty-four  pieces  of  improved  artillery,  most 
of  it  rifled,  while  ours  were  nearly  all  smooth  bore.  Heavy 
reinforcements  were  held  in  reserve  by  the  Federal  commander; 
and  as  far  as  human  intelligence  could  estimate  the  future,  it 
seemed  certain  that  the  thin  line  of  Southerners  would  be 
broken  and  annihilated  by  the  mere  weight  of  their  opponents. 
But  one  serious  element  was  left  out  of  the  calculation.  The 
cause  in  which  the  men  of  the  South  fought — and  the  character 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  29 

of  those  forces,  from  the  highest  officer  to  the  humblest  private. 
On  one  side,  the  demoniac  lust  of  spoil  and  rapine — a  mad  and 
infamous  invasion  of  a  great  people's  homes  and  firesides,  with 
"  Booty  and  Beauty"  for  the  watchword  :  subjugation  the 
result  aimed  at  by  their  legions.  On  the  other,  a  great  race 
fighting  in  defence  of  their  ^soil,  their  families — the  very  little 
ones  at  their  knees — for  freedom  and  home  and  sacred  honor. 
They  were  led  by  Johnston,  Beauregard,  Jackson — those  noble 
types  of  the  mighty  Anglo-Saxon  race  ;  and  with  such  a  cause 
and  such  leaders,  the  little  band  of  Southerners  were  more  than 
a  match  for  their  swarming  foes. 

It  was  now  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  enemy  had 
full  possession  of  the  plateau  upon  which  Robinson's  and  the 
Henry  House  were  situated.  It  was  necessary  to  drive  them 
from  it ;  and  Gen.  Beauregard  gave  the  order  for  the  entire 
right  of  his  line,  with  the  exception  of  the  reserves,  to  ad 
vance.  The  Southerners  rushed  forward  with  wild  cheers, 
and  gained  the  plateau  in  face  of  a  tremendous  fire,  Jackson's 
brigade  piercing  the  enemy's  centre,  with  the  determined 
courage  of  veterans  and  carrying  all  before  them.  They  suf 
fered  heavily,  and  the  ground  was  strewn  with  some  of  the 
noblest  youths  of  the  South ;  but  the  plateau  was  recovered, 
and  the  Federal  lines  broken  and  swept  back  at  all  points. 
The  splendid  courage  of  the  Southerners  covered  them  with 
glory  ;  but  their  triumph  was  short-lived.  The  enemy  threw 
forward  heavy  reinforcements — attacked  our  exhausted  lines  ; 
and  by  pure  weight  of  numbers  drove  the  Southerners  back, 
retaking  their  guns  and  recovering  all  the  ground  which  they 
had  lost. 

This  was  the  turning  point  of  the  whole  contest.  If  the 
enemy  were  left  in  possession  of  this  vantage  ground  thus 
gained  the  struggle  was  over,  and  nothing  remained  for  Beau- 
regard  but  to  withdraw  his  shattered  and  defeated  columns  in 
the  best  order  possible  before  their  victorious  assailants.  But 
such  a  thought  never  entered  the  brain  of  that  great  soldier 


30  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON". 

or  his  comrades.  It  was  "  do  or  die" — victory  or  death ;  and 
the  broken  lines  were  again  marshalled  for  a  desperate  and 
final  struggle.  Just  as  Beauregard  had  ordered  forward  his 
entire  line,  including  all  his  reserves,  and -galloping  forward, 
had  taken  command  of  them  in  person,  reinforcements  pushed 
forward  by  Johnston  appeared  upon  the  field,  and  a  general 
attack  of  the  whole  force  was  made  all  along  the  line.  The 
fighting  which  ensued  was  desperate — terrific.  All  thought 
but  victory  seemed  to  be  discarded  by  the  Southerners,  and 
they  charged  madly  over  piles  of  dead,  with  a  vigor  and  des 
peration  which  no  opponents  could  resist.  Jackson  was  every 
where  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  cheering  on  his  noble  bri 
gade,  and  holding  it  steady  under  the  terrific  fire  which 
mowed  down  whole  ranks  of  them  and  their  comrades.  A 
more  desperate  struggle  has  perhaps  never  occurred  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  world  than  that  which  took  place  on  that  field  near 
Manassas,  between  the  hours  of  half-past  two  and  four  o'clock, 
on  the  21st  of  July,  1861 — and  the  occasion  was  one  to  try 
the  nerves  of  the  stoutest  heart  that  ever  beat.  The  Southern 
leaders  saw  with  irrepressible  anguish  the  exhaustion  of  the 
troops,  the  waning  fortunes  of  the  day,  and  the  countless  re 
serves  which  the  enemy  hurled  incessantly  upon  their  thin 
and  weary  lines.  Among  these  was  the  heroic  Gen.  Bee,  in 
command  of  the  4th  Alabama  and  some  Mississippians  who 
were  nearly  worn  out  by  the  terrible  ordeal  through  which 
they  had  passed.  Bee  rode  up  and  down  the  lines  cheering 
on  the  men  and  beseeching  them  by  all  they  held  dear  not  to 
give  way,  when  he  met  Jackson  and  said  in  the  bitter  de 
spair  of  his  heart,  "  General,  they  are  beating  us  back."  The 
face  of  the  stern  silent  soldier  betrayed  no  answering  emotion. 
The  keen  eye  glittered  for  an  instant ;  the  lips  opened  ;  and 
in  the  curt,  peculiar  tones  of  the  speaker  he  said  :  "  Sir,  we 
will  give  them  the  bayonet."  Bee  seemed  to  gather  new  in 
spiration  from  the  words;  he  galloped  baek  to  the  remnants  of 
his  command,  and  pointing  to  Jackson,  called  out  to  his  men : 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  31 

"  There  is  Jackson  standing  like  a  stonewall !     Let  us  deter 
mine  to  die  here,  and  we  will  conquer  !     Follow  me  /" 

The  words  echoed  like  a  bugle  blast  in  the  ears  of  his 
brave  troops — they  rallied ;  and  taking  the  head  of  the  col 
umn,  Bee  charged  the  enemy,  falling  mortally  wounded  in 
the  front. 

It  was  just  at  this  time  that  General  Kirby  Smith  arrived 
with  his  fresh  troops,  which  he  had  disembarked  from  the 
cars,  and  rapidly  pushed  forward  towards  the  battle-field  ;  and 
with  his  batteries  he  opened  a  destructive  fire  upon  the  ene 
my's  righl*  and  centre.  At  half-past  three  the  Federal  forces 
were  driven  back  on  their  left  and  centre,  but  formed  a  new 
and  formidable  line  of  battle  in  the  shape  of  a  crescent,  from 
the  Carter  House  across  the  turnpike  to  Chinn's  house. 
They  had  lost  heart,  however,  in  the  long  and  bloody  strug 
gle.  Their  leaders  could  not  bring  them  up  again  to  the  con 
test.  Before  the  resolute  advance  of  our  troops,  mainly  di 
rected  against  their  right  flank  and  rear,  they  gave  ground, 
were  driven  over  the  narrow  plateau  into  the  fields  beyond, 
and  the  rout  became  general.  Their  torn  and  bleeding 
columns  were  pursued  by  our  cavalry  which,  earlier  in  the 
day,  under  Colonel  Stuart,  had  made  a  splendid  charge  upon 
a  regiment  of  Zouaves,  scattering  and  riding  them  down  ; 
and  had  this  cavalry  force  been  sufficient,  but  few  of  the  rout 
ed  forces  of  the  Federals  would  have  escaped  to  tell  the  tale 
of  their  reverses  to  the  gaping  citizens  of  Washington. 

Thus  terminated  the  hard-fought  battle  of  Manassas,  in 
which  the  army  of  the  Shenaudoah  gained  undying  laurels. 
Jackson's  men  had  fought  with  that  matchless  daring  which 
has  since  made  the  name  of  the  first  brigade  immortal ;  and, 
though  painfully  wounded  in  the  hand,  their  great  leader  was 
filled  with  joy  and  pride.  The  country  had  gained  a  splendid 
victory  against  enormous  odds  ;  and  although  he  did  not  then 
know  it,  Jackson  had  gained  a  name  with  which  he  is  forever 
inseparably  identified.  When  the  heroic  Bee  exclaimed: 


32  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

"  There  is  Jackson  standing  like  a  stonewall.  Let  us  determine 
to  die  here,  and  we  will  conquer,"  he  unconsciously  employee 
a  term  which  thenceforth  clung  to  Jackson  more  closely  thar 
his  baptismal  appellation.  From  that  hot  day  of  battle  the 
leader  of  the  men  of  the  valley  was  known  as  "Stonewall 
Jackson" — his  command  as  the  "  Stonewall  Brigade."  Many 
are  ignorant,  and  few  recall  the  fact  that  the  great  soldier  was 
christened  "  Thomas  Jonathan."  His  veritable  christening  in 
the  popular  heart  was  on  that  evening  of  Manassas,  when  Bee, 
about  to  surrender  his  great  soul  to  his  Maker,  baptized  him, 
amid  blood  and  fire,  "  STONEWALL  JACKSON." 


CHAPTER  V. 

JACKSON'S  FAREWELL  TO  THE  OLD  BRIGADE. 

SUCH  was  the  part  taken  by  the  thenceforward  famous 
leader  in  the  great*  battle  of  Manassas.  He  had  held  a  subor 
dinate  position  in  the  contest,  and  the  force  under  his  com 
mand  was  small ;  but  the  masterly  handling  of  his  troops,  and 
the  obstinate  stand  which  they  made,  justified  Jackson  in  the 
statement  which  he  proudly  made  in  taking  leave  of  them 
soon  afterwards :  that  they  had  decided  the  fate  of  the  battle. 

The  morning  of  Jackson's  fame  had  scarcely  dawned,  how 
ever.  He  had  secured  that  immortal  name  which  will  forever 
characterize  him  ;  but  the  arena  had  been  too  limited  for  the 
full  display  of  his  splendid  faculties,  and  few  suspected  the 
existence  of  those  inexhaustible  resources  of  strategy  and 
daring  which  lay  hid  beneath  the  calm  exterior  of  the  silent 
Virginian.  The  time  was  soon  to  come,  however,  when  these 
great  faculties  would  blaze  out  before  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
surrounding  their  possessor  with  a  halo  of  almost  dazzling 
splendor,  and  when  the  deeds  of  the  man,  Stonewall  Jackson, 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  33 

would  ring  throughout  the  civilized  world,  making  his  very 
enemies  bear  tribute  to  the  matchless  genius  which  struck  and 
overwhelmed  them. 

After  the  battle  of  Manassas,  Jackson  remained  with  his 
brigade  near  Centreville  until  the  early  part  of  October,  having 
during  that  time  made  but  one  movement — in  the  direction  of 
Fairfax  Court-house,  when  Gen.  Beauregard,  by  advancing 
and  then  falling  back,  endeavored  to  draw  McClellan  out  of  his 
earthworks.  About  the  month  of  September,  Jackson,  who 
had  been  made  a  Brigadier-general  before  he  left  the  Valley, 
was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  Major-general,  and  assigned  to 
the  command  of  the  troops  in  and  around  Winchester,  then 
threatened  by  a  large  Federal  army  under  Gen.  Banks.  To 
his  great  sorrow,  the  old  First  Brigade,  which  he  had  so  long 
commanded,  was  to  stay  behind  with  the  main  army,  and 
there  took  place,  at  the  camp  of  the  brigade,  near  Centreville, 
on  the  4th  of  October,  one  of  those  scenes  which  irresistibly 
excite  the  deepest  emotions  of  the  heart,  and  light  up  the  page 
of  history  which  records  them. 

On  that  day  Jackson  took  leave  of  his  old  "  First  Brigade." 
The  officers  and  men  were  drawn  up  as  though  in  line  of 
battle,  and  their  commander  appeared  in  front,  as  he  had  so 
often  appeared  before,  when  about  to  give  the  order  for  a 
charge  upon  the  enemy.  But  now,  no  enthusiasm,  no  cheers 
awaited  him.  All  knew  for  what  purpose  he  came,  and  the 
sorrow  which  filled  every  heart,  betrayed  itself  in  the  deep 
silence  which  greeted  his  approach.  Not  a  sound  along  the 
line — not  a  hand  raised  in  greeting — not  a  murmur,  even, 
going  to  show  that  they  recognized  their  beloved  captain. 
The  bronzed  faces  were  full  of  the  deepest  dejection,  and  the 
stern  fighters  of  the  old  brigade  were  like  children  about  to  be 
separated  from  their  father. 

Jackson  approached,  and  mastering  his  emotion  by  an 
effort,  said,  in  the  short  abrupt  tones  with  which  all  were  so 

familiar : 

2* 


34:  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

"  I  am  not  here  to  make  a  speech,  but  simply  to  say  fare 
well.  I  first-  met  you  at  Harper's  Ferry  in  the  commencement 
of  this  war,  and  I  cannot  take  leave  of  you  without  giving  ex 
pression  to  my  admiration  of  your  conduct  from  that  day  to 
this — whether  on  the  march,  the  bivouac,  the  tented  field,  or 
on  the  bloody  Plains  of  Manassas,  where  you  gained  the  well- 
deserved  reputation  of  having  decided  the  fate  of  the  battle. 
Throughout  the  broad  extent  of  country  over  which  you  have 
marched,  by  your  respect  for  the  rights  and  the  property  of 
citizens,  you  have  shown  that  you  were  soldiers,  not  only,  to 
defend,  but  able  and  willing  both  to  defend  and  protect.  You 
have  already  gained  a  brilliant  and  deservedly  high  reputation 
throughout  the  army  of  the  whole  Confederacy,  and  I  trust 
in  the  future,  by  your  deeds  on  the  field,  and  by  the  assist 
ance  of  the  same  kind  Providence  who  has  heretofore  favored 
our  cause,  you  will  gain  more  victories,  and  add  additional 
lustre  to  the  reputation  you  now  enjoy.  You  have  already 
gained  a  proud  position  in  the  future  history  of  this  our  second 
war  of  independence.  I  shall  look  with  great  anxiety  to  your 
future  movements,  and  I  trust,  whenever  I  shall  hear  of  the 
First  Brigade  on  the  field  of  battle,  it  will  be  of  still  nobler 
deeds  achieved,  and  higher  reputation  won!" 

Having  uttered  these  words,  Jackson  paused  for  an  instant, 
and  his  eye  passed  slowly  along  the  line,  as  though  he  wished 
thus  to  bid  farewell  individually  to  every  old  familiar  face,  so 
often  seen  in  the  heat  of  battle,  and  so  dear  to  him.  The 
thoughts  which  crowded  upon  him  seemed  more  than  he  could 
bear — he  could  not  leave  them  with  such  formal  words  only — 
and  that  iron  lip,  which  had  never  trembled  in  the  hour  of 
deadliest  peril,  now  quivered.  Mastered  by  an  uncontrollable 
impulse,  the  great  soldier  rose  in  his  stirrups,  threw  the  reins 
on  the  neck  of  his  horse  with  an  emphasis  which  sent  a  thrill 
through  every  heart,  and  extending  his  arm,  added  in  tones 
of  the  deepest  feeling  : 

"  In  the  army  of  the  Shenandoah  you  were  the  First  Bri~ 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  35 

yade  !  In  the  army  of  the  Potomac  you  were  the  First  Bri 
gade!  In  the  second  corps  of  the  army  you  are  the  First 
Brigade !  You  are  the  First  Brigade  in  the  affections  of 
your  general ;  and  I  hope  by  your  future  deeds  and  bearing 
you  will  be  handed  down  to  posterity  as  the  First  Brigade  in 
this  our  second  war  of  independence.  Farewell !" 

As  the  last  words  echoed  in  their  ears,  and  Jackson  turned 
to  leave  them  the  long-pent-up  feeling  burst  forth.  Three 
prolonged  and  deafening  cheers  rolled  along  the  line  of  the 
old  brigade ;  aud  no  sooner  had  they  died  away,  than  they 
were  renewed,  and  again  renewed.  The  calm  face  of  the  great 
leader  flushed  as  he  listened  to  that  sound,  but  he  did  not 
speak.  Waving  his  hand  in  token  of  farewell,  he  galloped 
away,  and  the  old  brigade  deprived  of  its  beloved  chief,  re 
turned  slowly  and  sorrowfully  to  camp. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE    WINTER    EXPEDITION   TO    ROMNEY. 

JACKSON  proceeded  to  Winchester,  and  taking  command  of 
the  forces  there,  applied  himself  energetically  to  the  work  of 
organizing  the  raw  levies  from  the  surrounding  country.  Gen. 
Loring's  command  from  Western  Virginia  was  subsequently 
assigned  to  him — and  he  succeeded  in  regaining  his  old  Stone 
wall  Brigade,  which  returned  to  him,  and  went  into  camp  near 
Kernstown,  in  the  latter  days  of  November. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1862,  Gen.  Jackson  sent  out  an  ex 
pedition  to  Bath  and  Romney,  where  the  Federal  forces  were 
committing  the  most  wanton  depredations,  and  ruling  the 
whole  region  with  a  rod  of  iron.  The  day  was  exceedingly 
bright  and  beautiful — the  air  soft  and  balmy — and  the  men 
left  behind  them  their  overcoats,  and  even  their  blankets,  ex- 


36  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

pecting  the  wagons  to  follow  and  join  them  before  these  arti 
cles  were  needed.  The  wagons  did  not  come  up,  however; 
and  on  the  third  day  of  the  march,  when,  after  winding  about 
among  by-ways  and  paths  they  had  reached  Unger's  Cross 
Roads,  the  weather  suddenly  changed,  and  a  freezing  snow 
storm  came  on.  From  Unger's  three  roads  radiate — one  to 
Romney,  another  to  Martinsburg,  and  a  third  to  Bath,  better 
known  as  Berkeley  Springs.  The  latter  road  was  the  one 
which  Jackson  now  pursued. 

This  expedition  is  only  remarkable  for  the  great  powers  of 
endurance  which  it  betrayed  in  the  men  ;  peremptory  orders 
from  the  War  Office  at  Richmond  having  arrested  his  further 
advance,  almost  before  he  had  commenced  the  execution  of 
the  design  which  he  had  in  view.  The  weather  was  really 
terrible.  It  has  been  truthfully  said  that  Napoleon's  passage 
of  the  Alps  scarcely  surpassed  the  march.  Rain,  snow,  hail, 
sleet,  beat  upon  the  troops  who  were  without  tents,  overcoats, 
or  blankets,  as  has  been  stated  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  biv 
ouac  fires  many  of  the  soldiers  must  have  perished.  Subse 
quently,  from  the  close  proximity  of  the  enemy  not  even  fires 
were  allowed,  and  the  feet  of  some  of  the  men  froze  to  the 
soles  of  their  boots.  "  I  built  a  big  fire,"  says  a  gallant  young 
soldier  whose  notes  of  the  march  are  before  us,  **  and  went  to 
sleep  by  it;  but  waked  up  about  12  o'clock  at  night  and  found 
the  fire  out,  and  about  three  inches  of  snow  over  me."  He, 
like  the  rest,  had  left  his  blankets,  and  this  winding  sheet 
covered  that  night  the.  whole  slumbering  army. 

The  difficulties  of  the  march  were  fourfold  for  the  trains. 
The  roads  were  covered  with  ice  two  inches  thick,  and  so 
thoroughly  glazed  by  the  sleet  that  horses  and  men  kept  their 
feet  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty.  Men  were  slipping  and 
their  guns  going  off  all  along  the  line — "  thousands  fell  flat 
every  day,"  says  an  eye-witness — and  both  men  and  horses 
were  often  seriously  hurt.  The  knees  and  muzzles  of  the 
horses  were  terribly  injured — they  were  seen  limping  along, 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  37 

crippled  and  streaming  with  blood — but  still  Jackson  pressed 
on.  Wagon  after  wagon  slid  off  and  turned  bottom  upward, 
in  spite  of  every  attempt  to  steady  them.  One  train  of  wagons 
and  artillery  took  from  daylight  until  3  P.  M.,  to  pass  a  hilly 
point— heavy  details  of  men  steadying  the  animals,  and  almost 
lifting  the  vehicles  along.  Jackson,  however,  continued  his 
march,  his  plans  not  admitting  of  delay ;  and  soon  came  upon 
the  advance  of  the  enemy  about  six  miles  from  Bath,  in  Mor 
gan  county.  Here  he  had  a  sharp  skirmish,  the  Virginians, 
under  Col.  Patton,  driving  the  enemy  back,  and  capturing 
about  thirty  prisoners.  This  was  followed  up  by  an  attack 
on  the  force  which  held  possession  of  the  town,  who  were  in 
like  manner  defeated  and  driven  across  the  Potomac,  which 
they  were  forced  to  wade  on  one  of  the  coldest  nights  ever 
known  in  that  region. 

Jackson,  having  cleared  the  path  thus  far,  now  made  a 
flank  movement  in  the  direction  of  Romney  to  fall  upon  the 
Federal  force  stationed  there,  and  committing  every  outrage 
upon  the  citizens.  His  movements  were  rapid  but  not  so 
rapid  as  those  of  the  enemy.  They  were  at  least  12,000  in 
number,  but  had  no  desire  to  meet  the  Confederates,  evacuat 
ing  Romney  and  falling  back  before  Jackson  got  within  a 
day's  march  of  the  place.  Large  supplies  were  captured  at 
Romney,  to  which  Jackson  now  advanced,  and  the  enemy  'in 
his  front  were  completely  dispersed.  It  behooved  him  to 
guard  his  communications  however  from  attack,  and  leaving 
Gen.  Loring  at  Romney,  he  returned  with  his  old  Stonewall 
Brigade  to  Winchester  to  watch  the  enemy  toward  Harper's 
Ferry. 

Such  was  the  position  of  affairs  when  the  order  above 
mentioned  was  sent  to  Gen.  Loring  to  fall  back  from  Romney. 
This  he  promptly  did,  and  soon  afterward  the  enemy  were  in 
possession  of  Moorefield.  The  facts  of  this  expedition  are 
little  known.  When  they  are  fully  pet  forth,  as  they  doubt- 


38  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

less  will  be  some  day,  the  movements  and  designs  of  Jackson 
will  be  understood  and  appreciated  at  their  just  value. 

Operations  during  the  remainder  of  the  winter  were  not  im 
portant,  though  Dam  No.  5,  on  the  Potomac,  was  completely 
destroyed,  and  the  enemy  to  that  extent  damaged.  A  desul 
tory  warfare  of  pickets  was  kept  up  along  the  river — both 
armies  awaiting  the  opening  of  Spring  for  serious  military 
movements. 

Early  in  March  the  enemy  began,  to  move,  and  Jackson  re 
ceived  information  that  they  were  about  to  attack  him  at  Win 
chester  with  an  overwhelming  force.  Shields  soon  afterwards 
advanced,  and  Jackson  offered  battle  to  his  advance  force  on 
two  successive  days.  This  was,  however,  declined,  and  the 
main  body  of  the  enemy  having  come  up,  Jackson,  on  March 
llth,  evacuated  Winchester,  slowly  falling  back  before  them. 
He  had,  as  was  usual  with  him,  secured  every  thing  in  the 
shape  of  public  stores,  and  none  of  the  fruits  of  his  expedi 
tions  fell  again  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Trains,  cars, 
engines  from  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  had  all  been  sent 
to  the  rear — and  the  men  had  been  greeted  with  the  unique 
spectacle  of  one  huge  railroad  engine  rolling  slowly  along  the 
valley  turnpike  toward  Staunton,  drawn  by  forty-two  horses. 
Nothing  was  thus  left  for  the  enemy,  pressing  now  into  Win 
chester,  and  Jackson's  little  army  of  about  3,000  men  con 
tinued  slowly  to  retire  in  face  of  the  foe.  Ashby  with  his 
cavalry  held  the  rear,  and  obstinately  disputed  every  inch  of 
ground  with  the  on-pressing  enemy.  Chew's  battery  supported 
him,  and  the  roar  of  the  guns  was  the  "  lullaby  and  reveille" 
of  the  little  army. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  39 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    BATTLE    OF   KERNSTOWN, 

JACKSON  crept  slowly  along  up  the  valley,  accelerating  his 
motions  as  he  proceeded.  But  on  the  21st  of  March  he  re 
ceived  a  dispatch  from  Ashby  stating  that  the  enemy  had 
evacuated  and  fallen  back  from  Strasburg.  His  resolution 
was  promptly  taken,  and  the  men  although  greatly  fatigued 
with  their  long  march  were,  on  the  22d,  faced  about  and 
marched  rapidly  down  the  valley  toward  Winchester  again, 
Jackson  determined  to  press  the  enemy  and  divert  from  their 
intended  march  a  body  of  about  15,000  men,  under  General 
Sedgwick,  who  were  then  moving  by  way  of  Snicker's  Gap, 
to  join  the  Federal  force  operating  against  Gen.  Johnston ; 
and  his  troops  were  accordingly  pushed  forward  with  the 
greatest  possible  rapidity  toward  Winchester. 

They  consisted  of  Ashby's  cavalry,  which,  with  Chew's 
battery,  already  held  the  front — Col.  Fulkerson's  brigade,  con 
sisting  of  the  23d  and  37th  Virginia  and  Shumaker's  battery; 
Brigadier-general  Garnett's  brigade,  consisting  of  the  2d,  4th, 
5th,  27th,  and  33d  Virginia  (the  "old  Stonewall  Brigade"), 
and  McLaughlin's,  Carpenter's,  and  Waters'  batteries ;  Co). 
Burks', brigade,  consisting  of  the  21st,  42d,  and  48th  Virginia, 
and  the  1st  battalion  Virginia  regulars  and  Marye's  battery. 
All  the  regiments  except  the  48th,  which  was  the  rear-guard, 
arrived  within  a  mile  or  two  of  Kernstown,  a  place  about  two 
miles  south  of  W  inch  ester,  by  two  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  23d  of  March,  and  bivouacked  there  that  night. 

During  the  march  information  had  reached  Gen.  Jackson 
from  a  reliable  source,  that  the  enemy  were  sending  off  their 
stores  and  troops  from  Winchester ;  and,  after  arriving  near 
.Kernstown,  he  learned  from  a  source  which  had  been  remark- 


4:0  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

able  for  reliability,  that  the  Federal  force  of  infantry  at  Win 
chester  did  not  exceed  four  regiments.  A  large  body  of  tin 
enemy  was  leaving  the  valley,  and  had  already  reached  Gas- 
tleman's  Ferry  (leading  to  Snicker's  Gap)  on  the  Shenandoah 
Though  it  was  very  desirable  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  leav 
ing  the  valley,  Gen.  Jackson  deemed  it  best  not  to  attack  un 
til  the  morning ;  but  subsequently  ascertaining  that  the  enem j 
r  had  a  position  from  which  his  forces  could  be  seen,  he  con 
cluded  that  it  would  be  dangerous  to  postpone  it  until  the  next 
day,  as  reinforcements  might  be  brought  up  during  the  night. 
After  ascertaining  that  the  troops,  part  of  which  had  marched 
more  than  fourteen  miles  since  dawn,  and  Garnett's  and  Burks' 
brigades,  which  had  made  a  forced  march  of  nearly  twenty- 
five  miles  on  the  previous  day,  were  in  good  spirits  at  the  pros 
pect  of  meeting  the  enemy,  Gen.  Jackson  determined  to  ad 
vance  at  once. 

Leaving  Col.  Ashby  with  his  command  on  the  Valley  turn 
pike,  with  Col.  Burks'  brigade  as  a  support  to  the  batteries, 
and  also  to  act  as  a  reserve,  the  general  moved  with  one  piece 
of  Carpenter's  battery  and  Col.  Fulkerson's  brigade,  supported 
by  Gen.  Garnett's  to  the  left,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a 
commanding  position  on  the  enemy's  right,  and,  thus  turn 
ing  him  by  that  flank,  force  him  back  from  his  strong  posi 
tion  in  front  which  prevented  a  direct  advance.  Soon  after 
Carpenter  brought  up  his  other  pieces,  McLaughlin's  and 
Waters'  batteries  also  came  forward ;  the  eminence  was 
reached ;  and  the  three  batteries  under  their  respective  cap 
tains  commenced  playing  upon  the  enemy  whose  position  was 
now  commanded.  Jackson  continued  to  advance  his  artillery, 
keeping  up  a  continuous  fire  upon  the  enemy  on  his  right — 
while  Col.  Echols  with  his  regiment,  the  27th,  with  its  skir 
mishers  thrown  forward,  kept  in  advance,  and  opened  the  in 
fantry  engagement,  supported  by  the  21st,  under  Col.  Patton, 
no  other  regiment  of  Gen.  Garnett's  command  having  come 
up.  Well  did  these  two  regiments  do  their  duty,  driving  back 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  41 

the  enemy  twice  in  quick  succession.  A  severe  wound  com 
pelling  the  noble  leader  of  the  27th  to  leave  the  field,  the 
command  devolved  upon  the  Lieut.-colonel,  the  dauntless 
Grigsby,  whose  officers  and  men  behaved  admirably. 

Col.  Fulkerson  having  advanced  his  brigade,  consisting  of 
the  23d  and  37th,  respectively  under  the  command  of  Col. 
Taliaferro,  and  Lieut.-col.  Carson,  to  the  left  of  Col.  Echols, 
judiciously  posted  it  behind  a  stone  wall,  toward  which  the 
enemy  were  rapidly  advancing,  and  opened  a  destructive  fire, 
which  drove  back  the  Federal  forces  in  great  disorder,  after 
sustaining  a  heavy  loss,  and  leaving  the  colors  of  one  of  their 
regiments  upon  the  field.  This  part  of  the  enemy's  routed 
troops  having,  to  some  extent,  rallied  in  another  position,  were 
also  driven  from  this  by  Col.  Fulkerson.  Soon  after  the  27th 
had  been  engaged,  Gen.  Garnett,  with  the  2d,  4th,  and  33d 
Virginia,  commanded  respectively  by  Col.  Allen,  Lieut.-col. 
Ronald,  and  Col.  Cummings,  moved  forward  and  joined  in  the 
battle,  which  now  became  general.  The  1st  Virginia  bat 
talion,  P.  A.  C.  S.,  under  Capt.  Bridgford,  though  it  unfortu 
nately  became  separated  in  advancing,  was  in  the  engage 
ment;  and  from  near  five  to  half-past  six  P.  M.,  there  was 
almost  a  continuous  roar  of  musketry,  the  enemy's  repulsed 
regiments  being  replaced  by  fresh  ones  from  his  large  re 
serves.  As  the  ammunition  of  some  of  the  Confederate  troops 
became  exhausted,  noble  instances  were  seen  of  their  borrow 
ing  from  comrades,  by  whose  sides  they  continued  to  fight, 
as  though  resolved  to  die  rather  than  give  way.  The  troops 
were  fighting  under  great  disadvantages,  but  it  was  unfortu 
nate  that  Gen.  Garnett  ordered  his  men  to  fall  back,  as  the 
enemy's  advance  would  otherwise  have  been  retarded,  and  an 
opportunity  afforded  the  reserves  to  come  up  and  take  part  in 
the  engagement.  The  advance  of  the  enemy,  consequent  upon 
this  movement,  enabled  them  to  turn  Fulkerson's  right  and 
force  him  to  fall  back — but  the  presence  of  General  Jackson 
soon  counteracted  this  dangerous  state  of  things.  The  5th 


4:2  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Virginia  was  assigned  a  position  which  it  held  until  the  arrival 
of  Colonel  Burks,  with  the  42d,  under  Lieut.-col.  Langhorne. 
Col.  Burks  and  the  officers  and  men  of  the  42d  proved  them 
selves  worthy  of  the  cause  which  they  were  defending,  by  tho 
spirit  with  which  this  regiment  took  and  held  its  position  un 
til  its  left  was  turned  by  the  enemy,  pressing  upon  the  5th  an 
it  fell  back.  Col.  John  Campbell  was  rapidly  advancing  with 
his  regiment  to  take  part  in  the  struggle ;  but  eight,  and  an 
indisposition  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  to  press  further,  had 
terminated  the  battle,  which  had  commenced  about  4  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  Leaving  Ash  by  in  front,  Gen.  Jackson  fell 
back  with  the  remainder  of  his  command  to  the  wagons,  and 
bivouacked  for  the  night. 

The  artillery  had  played  its  part  well  in  the  battle,  but  wo 
lost  two  pieces — one  belonging  to  McLaughlin's,  the  other  to. 
Waters'  battery;  the  former  from  having  upset  when  hard 
pressed  by  the  enemy,  and  the  latter  from  having  its  horses 
killed  when  on  the  eve  of  leaving  the  field  which  it  had  so 
well  swept  with  grape  as  to  have  driven  back  the  enemy  from 
a  part  of  it,  over  which  he  was  pressing  about  the  close  of  the 
battle.  During  the  engagement,  Col.  Ashby,  with  a  portion 
of  his  command,  including  Chew's  battery,  remained  on  the 
Confederate  right,  and  not  only  protected  the  rear  in  the  vi 
cinity  of  .the  Valley  turnpike,  but  also  threatened  the  enemy's 
front  and  left.  Ashby  fully  sustained  his  high  reputation  by 
the  able  discharge  of  the  important  trust  confided  to  him  by 
Jackson. 

Owing  to  the  exhausting  march  which  the  infantry  had 
made  since  the  morning  of  the  day  previous  to  the  battle — 
between  thirty-five  and  forty  miles — many  of  them  were  left 
behind.  Jackson's  army,  present  on  the  evening  of  the  bat 
tle,  consisted  of  3,087  infantry,  of  which  2,742  were  engaged, 
and  27  pieces  of  artillery,  of  which  18  were  engaged.  Owing 
to  the  recent  heavy  duty  and  the  extent  of  country  to  be  pick 
eted,  only  290  cavalry  were  present  to  take  part  in  the  en- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  43 

gagement.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  Federal  infantry 
on  the  field  numbered  over  11,000,  of  which  probably  over 
8,000  were  engaged.  Their  artillery  engaged  equalled  or 
exceeded  ours,  and  their  cavalry  force  was  larger.  Our  loss 
was  80  killed,  342  wounded.  A  few  days  after  the  battle  a 
Federal  officer  stated  that  their  loss  in  killed  was  418.  Their 
wounded,  upon  the  supposition  that  they  bore  the  same  rela 
tion  to  their  killed  as  ours,  must  have  been  such  as  to  have 
made  their  total  loss  more  than  three  times  that  of  the  Con 
federates.  The  wounded  of  Jackson's  army  received  that  care 
and  attention  from  the  noble  women  of  Winchester  which  they 
knew  so  well  how  to  give,  and  the  dead  were  buried  by  the 
loyal  citizens  of  the  town.  The  hospitalities  of  Baltimoreans 
relieved  the  wants  of  the  captured. 

Though  the  battle  of  Kernstown  did  not  enable  Jackson  to 
recover  possession  of  "Winchester,  yet  the  more  important 
object  at  the  moment — that  of  calling  back  troops  that  were 
leaving  the  valley,  and  thus  preventing  a  junction  of  Banks' 
command  with  other  forces,  was  fully  accomplished ;  and  a 
heavy  loss  in  killed  and  wounded  inflicted  upon  an  enemy 
greatly  the  superior  of  Jackson  in  numbers.  Thus,  though 
the  field  remained  in  possession  of  the  enemy,  all  the  most 
essential  fruits  of  the  battle  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
Confederates. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    BATTLE    OF    MCDOWELL. 

AFTER  the  battle  of  Kernstown,  Gen.  Jackson  retreated  in 
the  direction  of  Harrisonburg.  His  rear-guard,  comprising 
Ashby's  cavalry,  Capt.  Chew's  battery,  and  from  time  to  time 
other  forces,  was  placed  under  the  direction  of  Col.  Turner 


44  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Ashby,  an  officer  whose  judgment,  coolness,  and  courage,  emi 
nently  qualified  him  for  this  delicate  and  important  trust. 

Although  pursued  by  a  greatly  superior  force  under  Banks, 
Jackson  halted  for  more  than  a  fortnight  in  the  vicinity  of 
Mount  Jackson.  After  reaching  Harrisonburg  he  turned 
toward  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  on  April  19th,  crossed  the  South 
Fork  of  the  Shenandoah,  and  took  position  between  that  river 
and  Swift  Run  Gap,  in  Elk  Run  Valley.  Gen.  Ew.ell  having 
been  directed  to  join  the  main  body,  left  the  vicinity  of  Gor- 
donsville,  and  on  April  30th  arrived  with  his  division  on  the 
West  of  the  Blue  Ridge. 

The  main  body  of  Banks'  pursuing  army  did  not  proceec 
further  s6uth  than  the  vicinity  of  Harrisonburg;  but  a  con 
siderable  force  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Milroy  was  moving 
toward  Staunton  from  the  direction  of  Monterey — and,  as 
Gen.  Jackson  was  informed,  on  good  authority,  part  of  it  had 
already  crossed  to  the  East  of  the  Shenandoah  Mountain,  and 
was  encamped  not  far  from  the  Harrisonburg  and  Warm 
Spring  turnpike.  The  positions  of  the  two  Federal  armies 
were  now  such,  that,  if  left  unmolested,  they  could  readily  form 
a  junction  on  the  road  just  named,  and  move  with  their  united 
forces  against  Staunton. 

At  this  time  Gen.  Edward  Johnson,  with  his  troops,  was 
near  Buffalo  Gap,  west  of  Staunton ;  so  that  if  the  enemy  was 
allowed  to  effect  a  junction  it  would  probably  be  followed,  not 
only  by  the  seizure  of  a  point  so  important  as  Stauntou,  but 
must  compel  Gen.  Johnson  to  abandon  his  position,  and  might 
succeed  in  placing  the  enemy  between  him  and  Jackson.  To 
avoid  these  results,  Gen.  Jackson  determined,  if  practicable, 
after  strengthening  his  own  division  by  a  union  with  John 
son's,  first  to  strike  at  Milroy,  and  then  to  concentrate  the 
forces  of  Ewell,  Johnson,  and  his  own  against  Banks.  To 
carry  out  his  design  against  Milroy,  Gen.  Ewell  was  directed 
to  march  his  division  to  the  position  then  occupied  by  Jack 
son,  in  Elk  Run  Valley,  with  a  view  to  holding  Banks  in 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  4:5 

check,  while  Jackson  pushed  on  with  his  division  to  Staunton. 
These  movements  were  made.  At  Staunton  Gen.  Jackson 
found,  according  to  his  previous  arrangements,  Major-gen. 
Smith,  of  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  with  his  corps  of 
cadets  ready  to  co-operate  with  him  in  the  defence  of  that 
portion  of  the  Valley. 

On  the  morning  of  May  7th,  Gen.  Johnson,  whose  famili 
arity  with  this  mountain  region,  and  high  qualities  as  a  sol 
dier,  admirably  fitted  him  for  the  advance,  moved  with  his 
command  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy,  followed  by  the  bri 
gades  of  Gen.  Taliaferro,  Col.  Campbell,  and  Gen.  Winder, 
in  the  order  named.  Encountering  the  enemy's  Advance  near 
the  point  where  the  Staunton  and  Parkersburg  turnpike  in 
tersects  the  Harrisonburg  and  Warm  Springs  turnpike,  Gen. 
Johnson  pressed  forward.  The  enemy  rapidly  retreated, 
abandoning  their  baggage  at  Rodgers'  and  other  points  east 
of  the  Shenandoah  Mountain.  Atter  the  advance  had  reached 
the  western  base  of  the  Shenandoah  Mountain,  the  troops 
bivouacked  for  the  night. 

On  the  following  morning  the  march  was  resumed,  Gen.  John 
son's  brigade  still  in  front.  The  head  of  the  column  was  halted 
near  the  top  of  Bull  Pasture  Mountain,  and  Gen.  Johnson,  ac 
companied  by  a  party  of  thirty  men  and  several  officers,  with 
a  view  to  a  reconnoissance  of  the  enemy's  position,  ascended 
Setlington's  Hill,  an  isolated  spur  of  the  Bull  Pasture  Moun 
tain,  on  the  left  of  the  turnpike,  and  commanding  a  full  view 
of  the  valley  of  McDowell.  From  this  point  the  position 
and  to  some  extent  the  strength  of  the  enemy  could  be  seen. 
In  the  valley  in  which  McDowell  is  situated,  he  observed 'a 
considerable  force  of  infantry.  To  the  right  on  a  height 
were  two  regiments — but  too  distant  for  an  effective  fire  to 
that  point.  Almost  a  mile  in  front  was  a  battery  supported 
by  infantry.  The  enemy,  observing  the  reconnoitring  party, 
sent  out  a  small  body  of  skirmishers,  which  was  promptly  met 
by  the  men  with  Gen.  Johnson  and  driven  back. 


46  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JAOKSON. 

For  the  purpose  of  securing  the  hill,  all  of  Gen.  Johnsoi's 
regiments  were  sent  to  him.  The  52d  Virginia  beino-  the 
first  to  reach  the  ground  was  posted  on  the  left 'as  skirmishers  ; 
and  it  was  not  long  before  they  were  engaged  in  a  brisk  e  i- 
counter  with  the  enemy's  skirmishers  whom  they  gallantly  re 
pulsed.  Soon  after  this,  three  other  regiments  arrived  aud  we  -e 
posted  as  follows:  the  12th  Georgia  on  the  crest  of  the  h  11 
and  forming  the  centre  of  the  line ;  the  58th  Virginia  on  the 
left  to  support  the  52d ;  and  the  44th  Virginia  on  the  rig'it 
near  a  ravine. 

Milroy,  having  been  reinforced  during  the  day  by  Gen. 
Schenck,  determined  to  carry  the  hill  if  possible  by  a  direct 
attack.  Advancing  his  force  along  its  western  slope,  pro 
tected  in  his  advance  by  the  character  of  the  ground,  and  the 
woods  interposed  in  front  of  the  Confederate  forces,  and  di  i- 
ving  our  skirmishers  before  him,  he  emerged  from  the  wo(  d 
and  poured  a  galling  fire  into  our  right  which  wras  returned, 
and  a  brisk  and  animated  contest  was  kept  up  for  some  time — 
when  the  two  remaining  regiments  of  Johnson's  brigade,  the 
25th  aud  31st,  coming  up,  they  were  posted  to  the  right. 
The  fire  was  now  rapid  and  well  sustained  on  both  sides ;  and 
the  conflict  fierce  and  sanguinary.  In  ascending  to  the 
crest  of  the  hill  from  the  turnpike,  the  troops  had  to  pass  to 
the  left  through  the  wood  by  a  narrow  and  rough  route.  To 
prevent  the  possibility  of  the  enemy's  advancing  along  the 
turnpike,  and  seizing  the  point  where  the  troops  left  the  road 
to  ascend  the  hill,  the  31st  Virginia  was  posted  between  that 
point  and  the  town,  and  when  ordered  to  join  the  brigade  in 
action,  its  place  was  supplied  by  the  21st  Virginia. 

The  engagement  had  now  not  only  become  general  along 
the  entire  line,  but  so  intense  that  Jackson  ordered  Gen.  Tal- 
iaferro  to  the  support  of  Gen.  Johnson.  Accordingly  the  23d 
and  37th  Virginia  were  advanced  to  the  centre  of  the  lino, 
which  was  then  held  by  the  12th  Georgia  with  heroic  gallantry  ; 
and  the  10th  Virginia  was  ordered  to  support  the  52d,  which 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  47 

had  already  driven  the  enemy  from  the  left,  and  had  now  ad 
vanced  to  make  a  flank  movement  on  him.  At  this  time,  the 
enemy  was  pressing  forward  in  strong  force  on  Jackson's  ex 
treme  right,  with  a  view  of  flanking  that  position.  This  move 
ment  was  speedily  detected,  and  met  by  Gen.  Taliaferro's 
brigade  and  the  12th  Georgia  with  great  promptness.  Further 
to  check  it,  portions  of  the  25th  and  31st  Virginia  regiments 
were  sent  to  occupy  an  elevated  piece  of  woodland  on  our 
right  and  rear — so  situated  as  to  fully  command  the  position 
of  the  enemy.  The  brigade  commanded  by  Col.  Campbell 
coming  up  about  this  time  was,  together  with  the  10th  Vir 
ginia,  ordered  down  the  ridge  into  the  woods  to  guard  against 
movements  against  the  Confederate  right  flank,  which  they, 
in  connection  with  the  other  force,  effectually  prevented. 

The  battle  lasted  about  four  hours — from  half-past  four  in 
the  afternoon  until  half-past  eight.  Every  attempt  by  front 
or  flank  movement  to  attain  the  crest  of  the  hill  where  our 
line  was  formed  was  signally  and  effectually  repulsed.  Finally, 
after  dark,  the  enemy  ceased  firing  and  retired.  Their  artil 
lery,  posted  on  a  hill  in  Jackson's  front,  was  active  in  throwing 
shot  and  shell,  up  to  the  period  when  the  infantry  fight  com 
menced  ;  but,  in  consequence  of  the  great  angle  of  elevation 
at  which  they  fired,  and  the  sheltered  position  of  the  Confed 
erates,  they  inflicted  no  loss  upon  the  Southern  troops.  Jack 
son  did  not  bring  up  his  artillery ;  there  being  no  road  to  the 
rear  by  which  his  guns  could  be  withdrawn  in  case  of  disaster  ; 
and  the  prospect  of  successfully  using  them  did  not  compen 
sate  for  the  risk. 

Gen.  Johnson,  to  whom  Jackson  intrusted  the  management 
of  the  troops  engaged,  proved  himself  eminently  worthy  of  the 
confidence  reposed  in  him  by  the  skill,  gallantry,  and  presence 
of  mind  which  he  displayed  on  the  occasion.  Having  received 
a  wound  near  the  close  of  the  engagement,  which  compelled 
him  to  leave  the  field,  he  turned  over  the  command  to  Gen 
eral  Taliaferfo.  During  the  night  the  enemy  made  a  hur 
ried  retreat  toward  Franklin,  in  Pendleton  county,  leaving 


48  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

their  dead  upon  the  field.  Before  doing  so,  however,  the} 
succeeded  in  destroying  most  of  their  ammunition,  cainp  equip 
age,  and  commissary  stores,  which  they  could  not  remove.  Th-j 
loss  of  the  Confederates  in  the  battle  of  McDowell  was  7'. 
killed,  and  390  wounded,  making  a  total  loss  of  461.  Among 
the  killed  and  wounded  were  Colonel  Gibbons,  of  the  10th 
Virginia;  Col.  Harman,  of  the  52d ;  Col.  Smith  and  Major 
Higginbotham,  of  the  25th,  and  Maj.  Campbell,  of  the  421 
Virginia. 

To  prevent  Banks  from  reinforcing  Milroy,  Mr.  J.  Hotel  - 
kiss,  who  was  on  topographical  duty  with  the  army,  proceeded 
with  a  party  to  blockade  the  roads  through  North  River 
and  Dry  River  Gaps,  whilst  a  detachment  of  cavalry  ob 
structed  the  road  through  Brock's  Gap.  As  the  enemy  con 
tinued  to  fight  until  night,  and  retreated  before  morning,  but 
few  of  their  number  were  captured.  Besides  quartermast«3r 
and  commissary  stores,  some  arms  and  other  ordnance  stores 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Confederates. 

Leaving  Lieutenant-colonel  Preston,  with  a  detachment  of 
cadets  and  a  small  body  of  cavalry,  in  charge  of  the  prisoners 
and  public  property,  Jackson,  with  the  main  body  of  the 
array,  preceded  by  a  body  of  cavalry  under  Capt.  Sheets,  pur 
sued  the  retreating  enemy  to  the  vicinity  of  Franklin — but 
succeeded  in  capturing  only  a  few  prisoners  and  stores  along . 
the  line  of  march.  The  junction  between  Banks  and  Milroy 
having  been  prevented,  and  becoming  satisfied  of  the  imprac 
ticability  of  capturing  the  defeated  enemy,  owing  to  the 
mountainous  character  of  the  country,  which  was  favorable  to 
the  escape  of  a  retreating  force,  Jackson  determined,  as  the 
enemy  had  made  another  stand  at  Franklin,  with  a  prospect 
of  being  soon  reinforced,  that  he  would  not  attempt  to  pivss 
further,  but  return  to  the  open  country  of  the  Shenandoah 
Valley — hoping  to  defeat  Banks  before  he  should  receive 
reinforcements.  Accordingly,  on  Thursday,  May  15th,  the 
army,  after  Divine  service,  to  render  thanks  to  God  for  the 
victory,  began  to  retrace  its  steps. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  49 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    BATTLE    OF    WINCHESTER. 

FROM  the  pursuit  of  Milroy  and  Schenck  toward  Frank 
lin,  General  Jackson  returned  to  McDowell  on  the  14th  of 
May.  On  the  following  day  he  crossed  the  Shenandoah 
Mountain  and  encamped  that  night  near  the  Lebanon  White 
Sulphur  Springs.  Here  the  troops  were  halted  for  a  short 
time  after  their  fatiguing  marches,  to  enable  them  to  attend 
Divine  service,  and  to  observe  the  fast  recommended  by  the 
proclamation  of  President  Davis.  On  the  lYth  May  the 
march  was  resumed  toward  Harrisonburg. 

In  the  mean  time,  while  the  pursuit  of  the  Federal  troops 
west  of  the  Shenandoah  Mountain  was  in  progress,  General 
Banks  had  fallen  back  to  Strasburg,  which  position  it  was 
understood  he  was  fortifying.  General  Jackson  moved  from 
Harrisonburg  down  the  Valley  turnpike  to  New  Market,  in 
the  vicinity  of  which  a  junction  was  effected  with  EwelPs 
division,  which  had  marched  from  Elk  Run  Valley.  Leav 
ing  the  Valley  turnpike  at  New  Market,  General  Jackson 
marched  his  forces,  via  Luray,  toward  Front  Royal,  with  the 
hope  of  being  able  to  capture  or  disperse  the  garrison  at  the 
latter  place,  and  get  in  rear  of  Banks,  or  compel  him  to  aban 
don  his  fortifications  at  Strasburg.  To  conceal  this  movement 
as  far  as  possible  from  the  enemy,  General  Jackson  directed 
Brigadier-general  Ashby,  who  had  remained  in  front  of 
Banks  during  the  march  against  Milroy,  to  continue  to  hold 
that  position  until  the  following  day,  when  he  was  to  join  the 
main  body — leaving,  however,  a  covering  force  sufficient  to 
prevent  information  of  the  movement  against  Banks'  rear 
from  crossing  the  lines. 

Jackson's  command  at  this  time  embraced  Ashby 's  cavalry ; 

3 


50  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

the  1st  ("Stonewall")  Brigade,  under  General  Winder;  the  $d 
Brigade,  Col.  Campbell  commanding  ;  the  3d  Brigade,  Col. 
Fulkerson  commanding ;  the  troops  recently  under  commai  d 
of  Brigadier-general  Edward  Johnson  ;  and  the  division  }f 
Gen.  Ewell,  comprising  the  brigades  of  Gens.  Elzey,  Trimble, 
and  Taylor;. and  the  Maryland  Line,  consisting  of  the  1st 
Maryland  regiment  and  Brockenbrough's  battery,  under  Bri  >•- 
adier-general  Geo.  H.  Stewart,  and  the  2d  and  6th  Virginia 
cavalry,  under  Colonel  Flournoy. 

On  Thursday,  May  22,  Jackson  moved  with  his  enti -e 
command  down  the  road  leading  from  Luray  to  Front  Royal — 
the  advance,  under  Gen.  Ewell,  bivouacking  about  ten  milos 
from  the  last-named  place.  Moving  at  dawn  on  Friday,  the 
23d,  and  diverging  to  the  right  so  as  to  fall  into  the  Gooncy 
Manor  road,  Jackson  encountered  no  opposition  until  he  can  e 
within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  Front  Royal — when,  about  two  in 
the  afternoon,  the  enemy's  pickets  were  encountered  and 
driven  in  by  our  advance,  which  was  ordered  to  follow 
rapidly.  The  1st  Maryland  regiment,  supported  by  Wheat's 
battalion  of  Louisiana  Volunteers  and  the  remainder  of  Tay 
lor's  brigade  acting  as  a  reserve,  pushed  forward  in  gallant 
style,  charging  the  Federals,  who  made  a  spirited  resistance, 
driving  them  through  the  town  and  taking  some  prisoners. 
The  main  force  of  the  enemy  now  retired  a  short  distance 
beyond  Front  Royal,  and  took  position  on  a  commanding 
height  to  the  right  of  the  turnpike.  From  this  point  they 
opened  rifled  artillery  upon  our  troops  as  they  advanced  be 
yond  the  town.  Col.  Crutchfield,  Chief  of  Artillery,  placed 
some  guns  in  position  to  dislodge  them  ;  and  the  6th  Louisiana 
was  moved  to  the  left  through  the  woods,  to  flank  their  bat 
tery.  But,  in  the  mean  time,  Wheat's  battalion  and  the  1st 
Maryland,  Col.  Bradley  F.  Johnson,  advancing  more  directly, 
and  driving  in  their  skirmishers,  the  Federals  retreated  across 
both  forks  of  the  Shenandoah,  attempting,  in  their  retreat,  to 
burn  the  bridge  over  the  North  Fork.  Before  they  could 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  51 

fully  accomplish  their  purpose  our  troops  were  upon  them, 
extinguished  the  flames,  and  crossed  the  river — the  enemy  in 
full  retreat  towards  Winchester,  and  our  artillery  and  infantry 
in  pursuit.  The  cavalry,  under  Gen.  Ashby  and  Col.  Flour- 
noy,  had  crossed  the  south  fork  of  the  Shenandoah  at  Mc 
Coy's  Ford,  above  the  enemy's  position,  for  the  purpose  of 
destroying  the  railroad  and  telegraphic  communication  be 
tween  Front  Royal  and  Strasburg ;  and  also  to  check  the  ad 
vance  of  any  reinforcements  from  Strasburg,  or  the  retreat  of 
any  portion  of  the  enemy  in  that  direction  from  Front  Royal. 
Colonel  Flournoy  kept  a  short  distance  west  of  that  river,  and 
having  executed  his  orders,  was  now  in  readiness  to  join  in 
pursuit  of  the  retreating  enemy.  Delayed  by  difficulties  at 
the  bridge  over  the  North  Fork,  which  the  enemy  had  made 
an  effort  to  burn,  Col.  Flournoy  pushed  on  with  four  compa 
nies  of  the  6th  Virginia  cavalry,  and  came  up  with  a  body  of 
Federal  troops  near  Cedarville,  about  five  miles  from  Front 
Royal.  This-  force  consisted  of  two  companies  of  cavalry,  two 
pieces  of  artillery,  the  1st  Federal  regiment  of  Maryland  in 
fantry,  and  two  companies  of  Pennsylvania  infantry,  which 
had  been  posted  there  to  check  our  pursuit.  Dashing  into 
the  midst  of  them,  Captain  Grimsby,  of  Company  B,  in  the 
advance,  these  four  companies  drove  the  enemy  frpm  their 
position,  who  soon,  however,  re-formed  in  an  orchard  on  the 
right  of  the  turnpike,  when  a  second  gallant  and  decisive 
charge  being  made  upon  them,  their  cavalry  was  put  to  flight, 
their  artillery  abandoned,  and  their  infantry,  now  thrown 
into  great  confusion,  surrendered  themselves  prisoners  of  war, 
—  our  whole  loss  being  twenty-six  killed  and  wounded. 

While  these  occurrences  were  in  progress,  Gen.  Ashby — 
who,  after  crossing  at  McCoy's  Ford,  had  moved  with  his  com 
mand  further  to  the  west,  so  as  to  skirt  the  base  of  the  Mas- 
sinutton  Mountain — met  with  a  body  of  the  enemy  posted  as  a 
guard  at  Buckton,  in  a  strong  position,  protected  by  the  rail 
road  embankment.  Ashby  drove  back  and  dispersed  the  en- 


52  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

emy,  but  with  the  loss  of  some  of  his  most  valuable  officers  and 
men.  Among  them  Captains  Sheets  and  Fletcher.  The  ir- 
fantry  and  artillery  pursued  but  a  short  distance  before  dark 
ness  rendered  it  necessary  to  go  into  camp. 

The  results  of  this  first  day's  operations,  were  the  capture 
of  about  seven  hundred  prisoners,  among  them  about  twenty 
.officers,  a  complete  section  of  rifled  artillery  (10-pounder  Pai- 
rotts),  and  a  very  large  amount  of  quartermaster  and  commis 
sary  stores.  The  fruits  of  the  movement  were  not  restricte  1 
to  the  stores  and  prisoners  captured.  The  enemy's  flank  was 
turned,  and  the  road  opened  to  Winchester.  In  the  event  of 
Bank's  leaving  Strasburg,  he  might  escape  toward  the  Poto 
mac;  or  if  Jackson  moved  directly  to  Winchester,  he  might 
move  via  Front  Royal  toward  Washington  city.  In  order  tD 
watch  both  directions,  and  at  the  same  time  advance  upon  hii  i 
if  he  remained  at  Strasburg,  General  Jackson  determined,- 
with  the  main  body  of  the  army,  to  strike  the  turnpike  near 
Middleton,  a  village  five  miles  north  of  Strasburg  and  thirtee'n 
miles  south  of  Winchester. 

Accordingly,  on  the  following  morning,  General  Ashby  ac  - 
vanced  from  Cedarville  toward  Middletown,  supported  by  skir 
mishers  from  Taylor's  brigade,  with  Chew's  battery  and  two 
Parrott  guns  from  the  Rockbridge  artillery,  followed  by  the 
whole  command,  except  the  troops  left  under  command  of  Gen. 
Ewell  near  Cedarville.  Gen.  Swell,  with  Trimble's  brigade, 
the  1st  Maryland,  and  the  batteries  of  Brockenbrough  and 
Courtney,  had  instructions  to  move  toward  Winchester.  Ashby 
was  directed  to  keep  scouts  on  his  left  to  prevent  Banks  from1 
passing  unobserved  by  Front  Royal.  Brig.-gen.  George  H. 
Stewart,  who  was  now  temporarily  in  command  of  the  2d  and 
6th  Virginia  cavalry,  had  been  previously  dispatched  to  New- 
town,  a  point  further  north,  and  nine  miles  from  Winchester, 
with  instructions  to  observe  the  movements  of  the  enemy  at 
that  point.  He  there  succeeded  in  capturing  some  prisoners 
and  several  wagons  and  ambulances,  with  arms  and  medical 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  53 

stores.  He  also  advised  Gen.  Jackson  of  movements  which 
indicated  that  Banks  was  preparing  to  leave  Strasburg. 

General  Jackson  accompanied  the  movement  of  the  main 
body  of  the  army  to  Middletown.  Upon  arriving  there,  he 
found  the  Valley  turnpike  crowded  with  the  retreating 
Federal  cavalry,  upon  which  the  batteries  of  Poague  and 
Chew,  with  Taylor's  infantry  promptly  opened ;  and  in  a  few 
moments  the  turnpike  which  had  just  before  teemed  with  life 
presented  a  most  appalling  spectacle  of  carnage  and  destruc 
tion.  The  road  was  literally  obstructed  with  the  mangled  and 
confused  mass  of  struggling  and  dying  horses  and  riders.  The 
Federal  column  was  pierced,  but  what  proportion  of  its  strength 
had  passed  North  toward  Winchester  Gen.  Jackson  had  then 
no  means  of  knowing.  Among  the  surviving  cavalry  the 
wildest  confusion  ensued,  and  they  scattered  in  disorder  in 
various  directions,  leaving,  however,  some  two  hundred  pris 
oners,  with  their  accoutrements  in  our  hands. 

A  train  of  wagons  was  seen  disappearing  in  the  distance 
toward  Winchester,  and  Ash  by,  with  his  cavalry,  some  artillery, 
and  a  supporting  infantry  force  from  Taylor's  brigade,  was  sent 
in  pursuit.  But  a  few  moments  elapsed  before  the  Federal 
artillery,  which  had  been  cut  off  with  the  rear  of  the  column, 
opened  upon  Jackson  with  the  evident  intention  to  cut  its 
way  through  to  Winchester.  Our  batteries  were  soon  placed 
in  position  to  return  the  fire,  and  Gen.  Taylor  was  ordered 
with  his  command  to  the  attack.  After  a  spirited  resistance, 
this  fragment  of  the  Federal  army  retreated  to  Strasburg,  and 
from  thence  made  its  way  through  the  mountains  across  the 
Potomac.  A  large  amount  of  baggage  fell  into  our  hands  at 
this  point.  Entire  regiments,  apparently  in  line  of  battle,  had 
laid  down  their  knapsacks  and  abandoned  them. 

Having  become  satisfied  that  the  main  body  of  Banks'  army 
had  already  passed  this  point  on  its  way  to  Winchester,  our 
troops  which  had  halted.moved  on  in  pursuit  in  that  direction. 
The  large  number  of  wagons,  loaded  with  stores  and  abandoned 


54:  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

by  the  enemy  between  Middletown  and  Newtown,  plainly  indi 
cated  his  hurried  retreat. 

From  the  attack  upon  Front  Royal  up  to  the  present  mo 
ment,  every  opposition  had  been  borne  down,  and  there  was 
reason  to  believe,  if  Banks  reached  Winchester  it  would  b<; 
•without  a  train,  if  not  without  an  army;  but,  in  the  midst  o: 
these  hopes,  Gen.  Jackson  found  that  the  infantry  and  cavalry 
under  Ashby  had  abandoned  themselves  to  pillage  to  such  an 
extent  that  their  gallant  commander  found  it  impossible  to 
continue  the  pursuit.  The  artillery,  which  had  pushed  on 
with  energy  to  the  vicinity  of  Newtown,  found  itself,  from  this 
discreditable  conduct,  without  a  proper  support  from  eithe:-' 
infantry  or  cavalry.  The  relaxation  in  the  pursuit  was  unfor 
tunate,  as  the  enemy  was  encouraged  by  it  to  bring  up,  abou  , 
two  hours  later,  four  pieces  of  artillery,  which  were  plantec. 
on  the  northern  skirt  of  Newtown  and  opened  on  our  batteries 
Their  fire  was  replied  to  by  Capt.  Poague's  two  rifled  gun;, 
with  skill  and  accuracy.  When  Gen.  Jackson  overtook  the 
advance  it  was  thus  held  in  check  by  the  enemy's  artillery. 
Further  movements  were  retarded  until  nearly  dark,  when  tlu 
enemy  retreated  and  the  pursuit  was  renewed. 

As  Gen.  Jackson  advanced  beyond  Newtown  the  same  pro 
fusion  of  abandoned  Federal  wagons,  loaded  with  stores,  met 
his  eye,  but  he  derived  no  benefit  from  this  property,  as  the 
time  lost  during  the  disorder  and  pillage,  and  the  consequent 
delay  of  the  advance  at  Newtown,  enabled  the  enemy  to  make 
arrangements  for  burning  them.  Shortly  after  leaving  New- 
town  the  advance  was  fired  upon  by  a  body  of  the  concealed 
enemy,  but  they  were  soon  driven  off  by  the  33d  Virginia, 
Col.  Neff,  and  the  march  resumed. 

On  reaching  Bartonsville,  another  ambuscade  from  the 
right,  left,  and  front  was  encountered,  and  heavy  firing  kept 
up  for  some  time.  In  repelling  this,  the  27th  Virginia,  Col. 
Grigsby;  2d  Virginia,  Col.  Allen,  ^,nd  5th  Virginia,  Col. 
Baylor,  acquitted  themselves  gallantly.  Skirmishing  con- 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  55 

tinued  during  the  night,  the  enemy  ambuscading  from  point  to 
point. 

So  important  did  Gen.  Jackson  deem  it  to  occupy,  before 
dawn,  the  heights  overlooking  Winchester,  that  the  advance1 
continued  to  move  forward  until  morning,  notwithstanding  the 
darkness  and  other  obstacles  to  its  progress.  The  other  troops 
were  permitted  to  halt  for  about  an  hour  during  the  night. 
In  the  mean  time,  Major-general  Ewell,  with  Trimble's  bri 
gade,  the  1st  Maryland,  and  Stewart's  cavalry,  which  had 
now  joined  him  from  Newtown,  and  Brockenbrough's  and 
Courtney's  batteries,  was  advancing  to  Winchester  by  the 
turnpike  from  Front  Royal  to  that  place,  and  had  occupied  a 
position  about  three  miles  from  the  town,  as  early  as  ten 
o'clock  in  the  night,  and  thrown  forward  his  pickets  about  a 
mile  in  advance  of  his  position. 

As  General  Jackson  approached  Winchester,  soon  after 
dawn,  the  enemy's  skirmishers  were  occupying  the  hill  to  the 
southwest,  overlooking  the  town.  He  ordered  Gen.  Winder 
to  seize  that  height  as  speedily  as  possible.  The  5th  Vir 
ginia  was  accordingly  thrown  out  in  advance  as  skirmishers, 
and  the  2d,  4th,  27th,  and  33d  Virginia  (the  "  old  Stonewall 
Brigade")  being  placed  in  order  of  battle,  the  whole  line  was 
ordered  to  advance.  This  was  done  in  gallant  style,  and  the 
position  on  the  crest  secured,  though  the  enemy  made  a  reso 
lute  but  unsuccessful  effort  to  dislodge  our  troops  from  so 
commanding  a  position.  Two  Parrott  guns  from  the  Rock- 
bridge  artillery,  and  the  batteries  of  Carpenter  and  Cutshaw 
were  promptly  posted  on  the  height,  to  dislodge  a  battery  of 
the  enemy  which  was  playing  from  the  front  with  great  ani 
mation  and  effect  upon  the  hill.  At  this  moment,  a  body  of 
the  enemy's  sharpshooters  were  seen  crossing  the  ridge  to 
Jackson's  left,  between  him  and  a  battery  which  soon  opened 
an  enfilade  fire  on  our  batteries.  Poague's  guns  were  promptly 
turned  to  the  left,  which  compelled  the  infantry  to  seek 
shelter  behind  a  stone  fence,  from  which  their  fire  upon  our 


56  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

cannoneers  and  horses,  was,  for  a  while,  very  destructive.  By 
the  well-directed  guns  of  Carpenter  and  Cutshaw,  the  Federa: 
battery  in  front  had  now  become  silenced,  but  the  battery  on 
the  left  still  kept  up  a  brisk  and  damaging  fire.  Withdraw 
ing  his  battery  to  the  left  and  rear,  so  as  to  avoid  the  exposure 
under  which  he  was  severely  suffering,  Poague  opened  his 
guns  upon  ihe  enfilading  battery  of  the  enemy.  .  He  was  alsc 
directed  by  Gen.  Winder  to  throw  some  solid  shot  against  the 
stonewall,  under  the  shelter  of  which,  their  sharpshooters 
were  pouring  a  fatal  fire  into  our  ranks. 

During  these  operations,  valuable  officers  and  privates  suf 
fered;  among  them,  Colonel  J.  A.  Campbell,  commanding 
the  2d  Brigade,  was  wounded.  Whilst  the  enemy's  artillery 
was  playing  on  Jackson's  position,  his  infantry  moved  to  the 
left,  as  if  designing  to  gain  possession  of  that  portion  of  the 
hill  immediately  to  the  north.  General  Taylor  was  ordered 
to  advance  his  brigade  to  the  left,  and  check  the  movement. 
Promptly  leaving  the  turnpike,  he  passed,  under  cover  of  the 
hill,  in  rear  of  Winder,  and  formed  his  line  of  battle  in  face 
of  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  and  musketry  from  the  sharp 
shooters,  the  10th  Virginia  infantry  taking  position  on  the 
left,  and  the  23d  Virginia  on  the  right  of  his  line.  Steadily, 
and  in  fine  order,  mounting  the  hill,  and  there  fronting  the 
enemy  where  he  stood  in  greatest  strength,  the  whole  line  mag 
nificently  swept  down  the  declivity  and  across  the  field, 
driving  back  the  Federal  troops,  and  bearing  back  all  oppo 
sition  before  it.  In  this  gallant  advance,  all  the  troops  of 
General  Wrinder  joined  except  those  left  as  supports  to  the 
batteries.  This  successful  charge  being  followed  by  the 
giving  way  of  the  whole  Federal  army,  General  Elzey,  who 
had  been  in  reserve  on  the  Valley  turnpike,  was  now  ordered 
to  pursue,  and,  eagerly  uniting  in  the  general  advance,  soon 
entered  Winchester  with  the  other  troops.  On  the  right,  the 
attack  under  General  Ewell  was  executed  with  great  skill 
and  spirit.  The  21st  North  Carolina  and  the  21st  Georgia 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  57 

gallantly  drove  back  the  advance  force  of  the  enemy;  but 
the  21st  North  Carolina  becoming  exposed  to  a  destructive 
fire  from  a  Federal  regiment  posted  behind  a  stonewall,  after 
suffering  severely  in  both  officers  and  men,  was  forced  to  fall 
back.  The  21st  Georgia  having  succeeded  in  driving  that 
regiment  from  its  shelter,  reinforced  its  brigade. 

With  the  1st  Maryland  on  his  left  and  Trimble's  brigade 
on  his  right,  General  Ewell  now  moved  toward  the  eastern 
outskirts  of  the  town.  That  advance  was  made  about  the 
time  that  Taylor's  brigade  was  so  gallantly  crossing  the  hill 
and  charging  toward  the  western  side  of  the  town.  This 
simultaneous  movement  on  both  his  flanks,  by  which  his  re 
treat  might  even  have  been  cut  off,  may  account  for  the  sud 
denness  with  which  the  entire  Federal  army  gave  way,  and  for 
the  slight  resistance  which  it  made  in  passing  through  the 
town.  The  Federal  forces  were  now  in  full  retreat.  As 
General  Jackson's  army  passed  through  the  town  in  pursuit, 
they  were  received  with  the  most  enthusiastic  demonstrations 
of  joy  by  its  loyal  people,  who,  for  more  than  two  months,  had 
been  suffering  under  the  hateful  surveillance  and  rigors  of 
military  despotism. 

Notwithstanding  the  fatiguing  marches  and  almost  sleep 
less  nights  to  which  the  mass  of  General  Jackson's  troops  had 
been  subjected,  they  continued  to  obey  his  orders  and  press 
forward  with  alacrity.  The  Federal  forces,  upon  falling  back 
into  the  town,  preserved  their  organization  remarkably  well ; 
but  in  passing  through  its  streets,  they  were  thrown  into 
confusion,  and  soon  after  debouching  into  the  plain  and  turn 
pike  to  Martinsburg — and  after  being  fired  upon  by  our  artil 
lery — they  presented  the  aspect  of  a  mass  of  disordered 
fugitives.  Never  was  there  an  opportunity  where  it  was  in 
the  power  of  cavalry  to  reap  a  richer  harvest  of  the  fruits  of 
victory.  Hoping  that  h:s  cavalry  would  soon  come  up,  Gen 
eral  Jackson  pressed  forward  with  his  artillery  and  infantry 
for  two  hours,  his  purpose  being,  by  the  fire  of  his  artillery 

3* 


58  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

to  prevent  the  re-forming  of  the  enemy.  As  nothing,  how 
ever,  was  heard  of  the  cavalry,  and  as  little  or  nothing  could 
be.  accomplished  without  it,  in  the  exhausted  condition  of  the 
infantry — between  which  and  the  enemy  the  distance  was 
continually  increasing — General  Jackson  ordered  a  halt,  and 
issued  orders  for  going  into  camp  and  refreshing  the  men. 
He  had  seen  only  some  fifty  of  Ashby's  cavalry  prior  to  the 
pillaging  scenes  of  the  previous  evening,  and  none  at  all  since 
an  early  hour  of  the  past  night.  The  2d  and  6th  Virginia 
regiments  of  cavalry  were  under  the  command  of  Brigadier- 
general  George  H.  Stewart,  of  Swell's  command. 

After  the  pursuit  had  continued  for  some  distance  beyond 
the  town,  and  seeing  nothing  of  the  cavalry,  General  Jackson 
dispatched  his  aide-de-camp,  Lieutenant  Pendleton,  to 
General  Stewart,  with  an  order  "  to  move  as  rapidly  as  pos 
sible,  and  join  him  on  the  Martirisburg  turnpike,  and  carry 
on  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy  with  vigor."  General  Stewart's 
reply  was  "  that  he  was  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Ewell, 
and  the  order  must  come  through  him."  About  an  hour 
after  the  halt  of  the  main  body  had  been  ordered  by  Gen 
eral  Jackson,  Brigadier-general  George  II.  Stewart,  with 
his  cavalry,  came  up,  and  renewing  the  pursuit,  pushed  for 
ward  in  a  highly  creditable  manner,  and  succeeded  in  cap 
turing  a  number  of  prisoners ;  but  the  main  body  of  Banks' 
army  was  now  beyond  the  reach  of  successful  pursuit,  and 
effected  its  escape  across  the  Potomac. 

Before  reaching  Bunker  Hill,  General  George  H.  Stewart 
was  joined  by  General  Ashby,  with  a  portion  of  his  cavalry, 
their  delay  in  coming  up  having  been  caused  by  a  movement 
made  to  the  left  to  cut  off  a  part  of  the  enemy's  force.  The  cav 
alry  pushed  on  to  Martiusburg,  where  a  large  amount  of  army 
stores  were  captured  ;  and  there  was  reason  to  believe  that  if 
the  pursuit  on  the  part  of  the  cavalry  had  been  prompt  and 
persevering,  but  a  small  portion  of  Banks'  army  would  have 
escaped. 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  59 

On  the  following  day — the  26th  of  May — Divine  service 
was  held  in  the  camps  of  the  Southern  army,  and  thanks 
were  rendered  to  God  for  the  success  with  which  He  had 
blessed  their  arms,  and  his  continual  favor  implored — a  duty 
which  Gen.  Jackson  never  failed  to  impress  upon  his  troops. 
The  men  then  rested ;  but,  on  the  28th,  movements  against 
the  enemy  were  renewed.  Early  on  the  morning  of  that  day, 
Gen.  Winder,  in  order  to  make  a  demonstration  toward  the 
Potomac,  left  his  encampment  near  Winchester  with  the  4th, 
5th,  33d  and  27th  Virginia  regiments — the  ever-ready  "  old 
brigade" — and  Carpenter's  and  Poagne's  batteries,  and  took 
up  the  line  of  march  for  Charlestown  by  way  of  Summit 
Point.  When  about  four  miles  from  Charlestown,  he  re 
ceived  information  that  the  enemy  were  in  possession  of  that 
place  in  heavy  force  :  upon  being  advised  of  which,  General 
Jackson  ordered  Ewell  with  reinforcements  to  his  support. 
Notwithstanding  the  report  of  the  large  number  of  the  enemy 
and  the  expectation  of  reinforcements  in  the  course  of  the 
day,  Gen.  Winder  moved  forward  continually  toward  Charles- 
town,  and,  as  he  emerged  from  the  wood,  less  than  a  mile 
distant  from  the  town,  he  discovered  the  enemy  in  line  of 
battle,  about  fifteen  hundred  strong,  and  decided  to  attack 
them. 

Upon  the  appearance  of  our  troops,  they  were  fired  upon 
by  two  pieces  of  artillery.  Carpenter's  battery  was  imme 
diately  placed  in  position,  supported  by  the  33d  Virginia, 
and  was  so  admirably  served  that,  in  twenty  minutes,  the 
enemy  retired  in  great  disorder,  throwing  away  arms,  blankets, 
haversacks,  and  accoutrements  o?  every  description.  The 
pursuit  was  continued  rapidly  with  artillery  and  infantry  to 
Halltown.  A  short  distance  beyond  that  point,  observing 
the  enemy  in  position  on  Bolivar  Heights,  Gen.  Winder  re 
turned  to  the  vicinity  of  Charlestown. 

On  the  following  day,  the  main  body  of  the  army  took 
position  near  Halltown,  and  the  2d  Virginia  was  sent  to  Lou- 


60  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

doun  Heights — the  Blue  Ridge  opposite  Harper's  Ferry — to 
drive  the  enemy  out  of  the  town  and  across  the  Potomac. 

Meanwhile,  Gen.  Jackson  had  to  guard  against  a  serious 
peril  which  menaced  him  in  the  rear.  One  portion  of  the 
Federal  army  had  been  routed  and  driven  to  the  river,  but 
other  heavy  bodies  were  hanging  on  his  rear  and  flank  which 
it  behooved  him  to  prepare  for.  Shields  was  moving  from 
Fredericksburg  on  his  right,  and  Fremont  from  the  south 
branch  of  the  Potomac,  near  Bomney,  on  his  left,  with  the 
view  of  concentrating  a  heavy  force  in  his  rear  and  cutting 
off  his  retreat  up  the  -Valley.  To  avoid  such  a  result,  Geu» 
Jackson,  on  the  30th  May,  issued  orders  to  all  the  troops, 
except  Winder's  brigade  and  the  cavalry,  to  return  to  Win 
chester.  Directions  were  given  to  General  Winder  to  re 
call  the  2d  regiment  from  Loudoun  Heights,  and,  as  soon 
as  it  should  return  to  its  brigade,  to  move  with  his  com 
mand,  including  the  cavalry,  and  rejoin  the  main  body  of 
the  army. 

Before  General  Jackson  reached  Winchester,  the  enemy's 
cavalry  had  appeared  at  Front  Royal,  and  Col.  Connor,  who 
held  that  town  with  the  12th  Georgia  and  a  section  of  Rice's 
battery,  hastily  and  improvidently  abandoned  the  place — 
permitting  not  only  Federal  prisoners  then  in  our  possession, 
but  some  of  his  own  men  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
Quartermaster  and  commissary  stores,  which  Jackson  had 
captured  at  that  place,  and  estimated  at  $300,000,  were, 
however,  destroyed  before  being  recaptured  by  the  enemy. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  31st  of  May,  the  21st  Vir 
ginia,  Col.  Cunningham  commanding,  left  Winchester  in 
charge  of  some  2,300  prisoners,  and  moved  up  the  Valley 
toward  Staunton.  He  was  followed  by  the  other  troops  then 
near  Winchester,  which,  at  that  time,  embraced  Jackson's 
entire  command,  except  the  portion  left  with  Gen.  Winder. 
That  night  they  encamped  near  Strasburg,  and  on  the  follow 
ing  morning,  June  1st,  Gen.  Fremont,  who  was  approaching 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  61 

by  way  of  Wardensville,  attacked  Jackson's  outpost  in  that 
direction. 

As  it  was  necessary  for  Gen.  Jackson  to  maintain  his  posi 
tion  at  Strasburg  until  Winder  arrived  with  his  command. 
Gen.  Ewell  was  ordered  with  his  division  to  hold  Fremont  in 
check.  Other  troops  were  subsequently  sent  to  his  support, 
and,  after  a  spirited  resistance,  the  enemy's  advance  fell  back 
a  short  distance.  Toward  evening  Winder  arrived — part  of 
his  brigade,  the  2d  Virginia,  having  marched  thirty-six  miles. 
The  command  being  thus  united  again,  the  retreat  continued 
toward  Harrisonburg. 

The  public  property  captured  in  this  expedition — at  Front 
Royal,  Winchester,  Martinsburg,  and  Charlestown — was  of 
enormous  value,  and  so  large  in  quantity  that  most  of  it 
had  to  be  abandoned  for  want  of  means  of  transportation. 
The  medical  stores  which  filled  one  of  the  largest  storehouses 
in  Winchester  were  fortunately  saved  ;  but  in  spite  of  the  ef 
forts  of  Major  Harman,  Chief  Quartermaster,  transportation 
for  other  stores  of  countless  value  could  not  be  secured.  Most 
of  the  instruments  and  some  of  the  medicines,  urgently  needed 
at  the  time,  were  issued  to  the  surgeons — the  rest  sent  to 
Charlottesville  and  turned  over  to  a  medical  purveyor.*  Two 
large  and  well-furnished  hospitals,  capable  of  accommodating 
some  700  patients,  were  found  in  the  town,  and  left  undis 
turbed,  with  all  their  stores,  for  the  use  of  the  sick  and  wounded 
of  the  enemy.  Commissary  supplies,  consisting  of  upwards  of 
100  head  of  cattle,  34,000  pounds  of  bacon,  flour,  salt,  sugar, 
coffee,  hard  bread,  and  cheese,  were  turned  over  to  the  proper 
officers,  besides  large  amounts  taken  by  the  troops  and  not  ac 
counted  for.  Sutler's  stores  valued  at  $25,000,  and  for  want 
of  transportation  abandoned  to  the  troops,  were  captured. 
Quartermaster  stores  to  the  value  of  $125,185  were  secured, 
besides  an  immense  amount  destroyed.  Many  horses  were 
taken  by  the  cavalry.  Among  the  ordnance  stores  taken  and 


62  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

removed  in  safety  were  9,354  small-arms  and  two  pieces  of  ar 
tillery  with  their  caissons. 

The  official  reports  of  casualties  in  the  entire  command 
during  the  whole  expedition  showed  a  loss  of  68  killed,  329 
wounded,  and  three  missing — making  a  total  loss  of  400  men. 

In  addition  to  the  2,300  prisoners  in  Col.  Cunningham's 
charge,  there  were  found  in  the  hospitals  at  Winchester  about 
*700  sick  and  wounded  of  the  enemy,  and  at  Strasburg  some 
50 — making  the  total  number  who  fell  into  Jackson's  hands 
about  3,050.  Those  left  in  the  hospitals  were  paroled. 
Eight  Federal  surgeons,  attending  the  sick  and  wounded  at 
Winchester,  were  at  first  held  as  prisoners  of  war,  though  pa 
roled,  and  the  next  day  unconditionally  released. 

In  his  official  report,  from  which  we  have  taken  the  above 
narrative,  Gen.  Jackson  declares  that  the  main  body  of  the 
troops  acted  in  a  manner  worthy  of  the  great  cause  for  which 
they  were  contending  ;  and  adds,  that  as  far  as  his  knowledge 
extended,  the  battle  of  Winchester  was  "  on  our  part  a  battle 
without  a  straggler." 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  CROSS  KEYS. 

JACKSON  had  thus  out-fought,  out-generalled,  and  triumphed 
over  his  foes,  who  were  closing  in  upon  his  rear  with  the  vain 
hope  of  intercepting  and  destroying  him.  They  did  not 
know  the  man  with  whom  they  had  to  deal — his  sleepless 
vigilance,  the  execution  following  the  conception,  as  .thunder 
does  the  lightning — the  profound  and  unerring  military  ge 
nius,  which  w#s  so  much  more  than  a  matofe  for  all  his  foes 
combined — the  eye  which  pierced  to  the  depths  of  all  their 
plans  and  devices,  and  defied  those  enemies  to  entrap  him. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  63 

He  had  accomplished  his  object,  and  he  now  set  out  on  his 
return.  Banks  was  driven  ignominiously  to  the  Potomac — 
his  stores  of  countless  value  captured  or  destroyed ;  a  tre 
mendous  blow  had  been  struck,  whose  sound  reverberated 
along  the  Valley — and  Jackson  had  no  longer  any  thing  to 
keep  him  there.  Converging  columns  were  closing  in  on  the 
flanks  and  rear  of  the  weary  lion  ;  and  he  slowly  retired,  still 
full  of  "fight"  and  menace,  toward  the  safer  region  of  the 
upper  Shenandoah,  to  renovate  his  forces  for  any  other  strug 
gle  which  should  be  necessary. 

Leaving  Strasburg  on  the  evening  of  the  1st  of  June,  he 
continued  to  move  up  the  Valley  turnpike,  the  cavalry  under 
Brigadier-general  Geo.  H.  Stewart,  bringing  up  the  rear. 

Fremont's  advance,  which  had  been  hovering  near  the 
Southern  army  during  the  day,  soon  ascertained  that  the  re 
treat  had  been  resumed,  and  moved  in  pursuit  during  the 
night.  Encountering  our  rear-guard,  they  were  challenged, 
but  replying  "Ashby's  cavalry"  to  the  challenge,  they  ap 
proached  so  near  as  to  make  an  attack.  The  6th  Virginia 
cavalry,  which  was  nearest  the  enemy,  were  thrown  into  con 
fusion,  and  suffered  some  loss ;  and  this  disorder  was,  to  some 
extent,  communicated  to  the  2d  Virginia  cavalry  also.  Its 
commander,  Colonel  Munford,  soon  re-formed  it,  however, 
and  gallantly  driving  back  the  enemy,  captured  some  of  their 
number.  From  information  received  respecting  Shields' 
movements,  and  from  the  fact  that  he  had  been  in  possession 
of  Front  Royal  for  more  than  forty -eight  hours  without  effect 
ing  a  junction  with  Fremont,  as  originally  designed,  Jackson 
became  apprehensive  that  he  was  moving  via  Luray,  for  the 
purpose  of  reaching  New  Market,  on  his  line  of  retreat,  before 
the  Confederates  arrived  there.  To  avoid  this,  he  caused 
"White  House  bridge,  upon  the  assumed  line  of  Shields' 
march,  over  the  south  fork  of  the  Shenandoah  river  to  New 
Market,  to  be  burned — and  also  Columbia  bridge,  which  was 
a  few  miles  up  the  river. 


64  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  the  enemy's  advance  came  within  ar 
tillery  range  of  Jackson's  rear-guard,  and  commenced  shelling 
it,  throwing  the  cavalry  and  artillery  into  some  disorder. 
This  led  Gen.  Ashby  to  one  of  those  acts  of  personal  heroism 
and  prompt  resource,  which  strikingly  marked  his  character. 
Dismounting  from  his  horse,  he  collected  from  the  road  a  small 
body  of  infantry  from  those  who  were  fatigued  and  straggling 
behind  their  commands,  and  posting  them  in  a  piece  of  wood 
near  the  turnpike,  he  awaited  the  advance  of  the  enemy's 
cavalry,  pushing  forward  to  reap  the  fruits  of  the  panic  pro 
duced  by  the  shells.  As  they  approached  within  easy  range, 
he  poured  such  an  effective  fire  into  their  ranks  as  to  empty  a 
number  of  saddles,  and  check  their  further  pursuit  for  that 
day.  Having  transferred  the  2d  and  6th  Virginia  cavalry  to 
Ashby,  Jackson  from  that  time  placed  him  in  command  of 
the  rear-guard  of  the  army.  On  the  3d  of  June,  after  the 
army  had  crossed  the  bridge  over  the  Shenandoah  near  Mount 
Jackson,  Ashby  was  ordered  to  destroy  it,  which  he  barely 
succeeded  in  doing,  before  the  Federal  forces  reached  the  op 
posite  bank  of  the  river.  Here  Ashby's  horse  was  killed,  and 
he  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life. 

Jackson  reached  Harrisonburgh  at  an  early  hour  on  the 
morning  of  the  5th,  and  passing  beyond  that  town,  turned 
toward  the  east,  in  the  direction  of  Port  Republic.  On  the 
6th,  General  Ashby  took  position  on  the  road  between  Harri- 
sonburg  and  Port  Republic,  and  received  a  spirited  charge 
from  a  portion  of  the  enemy's  cavalry,  which  resulted  in  the 
repulse  of  the  latter,  and  the  capture  of  Colonel  Wyndham, 
with  sixty-three  others.  Fearing  that  the  Federals  would 
make  a  more  serious  attack,  Ashby  called  for  infantry  sup 
port  ;  and  the  brigade  of  General  George  II.  Stewart  was  ac 
cordingly  ordered  forward.  In  a  short  time  the  58th  Virginia 
became  engaged  with  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  called  the 
Bucktails,  when  Colonel  Johnson,  of  the  1st  Maryland,  coming 
up  in  the  hottest  period  of  the  fire,  charged  gallantly  into 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  65 

its  flank,  and  drove  the  enemy  with  heavy  loss  from  the  field, 
capturing  Lieutenant-colonel  Kane,  commanding  the  regi 
ment.  In  this  skirmish,  our  infantry  loss  was  17  killed,  50 
wounded,  and  three  missing.  Among  the  killed  was  the  heroic 
Ashby.  The  name  of  this  splendid  type  of  Southern  chivalry 
will  live  as  long  as  the  history  of  this,  our  great  war  for  inde 
pendence,  and  we  need  not  pause  to  delineate  his  great  out 
line  upon  the  crowded  canvas  of  our  subject.  It  is  there 
before  the  eyes  of  all  the  world — the  chevalier  upon  his  milk- 
white  horse — the  admired,  the  beloved,  the  peerless  partisan 
of  Virginia.  Our  feeble  praise  can  add  nothing  to  his  fame, 
and  we  do  not  touch  upon  a  theme  which  demands  a  separate 
treatment.  It  may,  however,  gratify  some  of  our  readers  to 
see  the  words  of  General  Jackson — words  never  before  pub 
lished — on  the  occasion  of  his  death;  to  know,  "under  the 
hand  and  seal"  of  the  immortal  Jackson,  what  he  thought  of 
Turner  Ashby.  "  An  official  report,"  writes  General  Jackson, 
"  is  not  an  appropriate  place  for  more  than  a  passing  notice  of 
the  distinguished  dead ;  but  the  close  relation  which  General 
Ashby  bore  to  my  command  for  most  of  the  previous  twelve 
months,  will  justify  me  in  saying  that  as  a  partisan  officer  I 
never  knew  his  superior.  His  daring  was  proverbial;  his 
powers  of  endurance  almost  incredible ;  his  tone  of  character 
heroic,  and  his  sagacity  almost  intuitive  in  divining  the  pur 
poses  and  movements  of  the  enemy." 

Such  are  the  words  of  Jackson  upon  Ashby — one  hero's 
estimate  of  another.  That  epitaph  shall  remain  the  glory  of 
Ashby  "the  heroic,"  while  the  grass  grows  and  the  water 
runs ! 

The  main  body  of  Jackson's  command  had  now  reached  the 
vicinity  of  Port  Republic.  This  village  is  situated  in  the 
angle  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  North  and  South  rivers, 
tributaries  of  the  south  fork  of  the  Shenandoah.  Over  the 
larger  and  deeper  of  these  two  streams,  the  North  river,  there 
was  a  wooden  bridge,  connecting  the  town  with  the  road  lead- 


66  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON. 

ing  to  Harrisonburg.  Over  the  South  river  there  was  a 
passable  ford.  The  troops  more  immediately  under  the  com 
mand  of  Jackson  were  encamped  on  the  high  ground  north 
of  the  village,  about  a  mile  from  the  river.  General  Ewell 
was  some  four  miles  distant,  near  the  road  leading  from  Har- 
risonburg  to  Port  Republic.  Fremont  had  arrived  with  his 
forces  in  the  vicinity  of  Harrisonburg,  and  Shields  was  moving 
up  the  east  side  of  the  south  fork  of  the  Shenandoah,  and 
was  then  at  Conrad's  store,  some  fifteen  miles  below  Port  Re 
public.  Jackson's  position  was  about  equidistant  from  both 
hostile  armies.  To  prevent  a  junction  of  the  two  Federal 
armies,  he  had  caused  the  bridge  over  the  south  fork  of  the 
Shenandoah,  at  Conrad's  store,  to  be  destroyed. 

Intelligence  having  been  received  that  Shields  was  ad 
vancing  further  up  the  river,  a  small  cavalry  force  was  sent 
down  during  the  night  of  the  7th  to  verify  the  report,  and  gain 
such  other  information  respecting  the  enemy  as  could  be  ob 
tained.  On  the  next  morning  the  cavalry  precipitately  re 
turned,  announcing  that  the  enemy  were  approaching.  The 
brigades  of  Gen.  Taliaferro  and  Gen.  Winder  were  soon  under 
arms,  and  Gen.  Jackson  ordered  them  to  occupy  positions  im 
mediately  north  of  the  bridge.  By  this  time  the  Federal  cav 
alry,  accompanied  by  artillery,  were  in  sight,  and  after  directing 
a  few  shots  towards  the  bridge,  they  crossed  South  river,  and 
dashing  into  the  village,  planted  one  of  their  pieces  at  the 
southern  entrance  of  the  bridge.  In  the  mean  time,  the  bat 
teries  of  Wooding,  Poague,  and  Carpenter,  were  being  placed 
in  position ;  and  Gen.  Taliaferro's  brigade  having  reached  the 
vicinity  of  the  bridge,  was  ordered  to  charge  across,  capture 
the  piece,  and  occupy  the  town.  While  one  of  Poague's  pieces 
was  returning  the  fire  of  that  of  the  enemy  at  the  far  end  of 
the  bridge,  the  37th  Virginia,  Col.  Fulkerson,  after  deliver 
ing  its  fire,  gallantly  charged  over  the  bridge,  captured  the 
gun,  and,  followed  by  the  other  regiments  of  the  brigade,  en 
tered  the  town,  and  dispersed  and  drove  back  the  Federal  cav- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  67 

airy.  Another  piece  of  artillery,  with  which  the  enemy  had 
advanced,  was  abandoned,  and  subsequently  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Confederates.  About  this  time  a  considerable  body  of 
infantry  was  seen  advancing  up  the  same  road  ;  and  our  bat 
teries  opened  with  marked  effect  upon  this  force  and  the 
retreating  cavalry.  In  a  short  time  the  infantry  followed  the 
cavalry,  falling  back  to  Lewis's,  three  miles  down  the  river, 
pursued  for  a  mile  by  our  batteries  on  the  opposite  bank,  when 
the  enemy  disappeared  in  the  woods  round  a  bend  in  the  road. 

This  attack  of  Shields  had  hardly  been  repulsed  before 
Ewell  was  seriously  engaged  with  Fremont,  moving  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  river.  The  enemy  pushed  forward,  driving 
in  the  15th  Alabama,  Col.  Canty,  from  their  post  on  picket. 
This  regiment  made  a  gallant  resistance,  which  so  far  checked 
the  advance  of  the  enemy,  as  to  afford  Gen.  Ewell  time  for 
the  choice  of  his  position,  at  leisure.  His  ground  was  well 
selected  on  a  commanding  ridge,  a  rivulet  and  large  field  of 
open  ground  in  front — wood  on  both  flanks — and  his  line 
intersected  near  its  centre  by  the  road  leading  to  Port  Repub 
lic.  Gen.  Trimble's  brigade  was  posted  on  the  right,  somewhat 
in  advance  of  his  centre — the  batteries  of  Courtney,  Lusk, 
Brockenbrough,  and  Rains  in  the  centre.  Gen.  Stewart's 
brigade  on  the  left,  and  Gen.  Elzey's  brigade  in  rear  of  the 
centre,  and  in  position  to  strengthen  either  wing.  Both  wings 
were  in  the  wood. 

About  ten  o'clock  the  enemy  threw  out  his  skirmishers  and 
shortly  afterwards  posted  his  artillery  opposite  our  own.  The 
artillery  fire  was  kept  up  with  great  animation,  on  both  sides, 
for  several  hours.  In  the  mean  time  a  brigade  of  the  enemy 
advanced  under  cover  on  the  right,  occupied  by  Gen.  Trimble, 
who  reserved  his  fire  until  they  reached  the  crest  of  the  hill 
in  easy  range  of  his  musketry,  when  he  poured  into  them  a 
deadly  fire  from  his  whole  front,  under  which  they  fell  back. 
Observing  a  battery  about  being  posted  on  the  enemy's  left, 
half  a  mile  in  front,  Gen.  Trimble,  now  supported  by  the  13th 


68  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

and  25th  Virginia,  of  Elzey's  brigade,  pushed  forward  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  it,  but  found  it  withdrawn  before  he  reached 
the  spot,  having,  in  the  mean  time,  some  spirited  skirmishing 
with  its  infantry  supports.  Gen.  Trimble  had  now  advanced 
more  than  a  mile  from  his  original  position,  while  the  Federal 
advance  had  fallen  back  to  the  ground  occupied  by  them  in 
the  morning. 

Gen.  Taylor,  of  the  8th  brigade  of  Louisiana  troops,  having 
arrived  from  the  vicinity  of  the  bridge  at  Port  Republic, 
toward  which  he  had  moved  in  the  morning,  reported  to  Gen. 
Ewell  about  2  p.  M.,  and  was  placed  in  rear.  Col.  Patton, 
with  the  42d  and  48th  Virginia,  and  1st  battalion  Virginia 
regulars  also  joined,  and  with  the  remainder  of  Gen.  Elzey's 
brigade  was  added  to  the  centre  and  left,  then  supposed  to  be 
threatened.  General  Ewell,  having  been  informed  that  the 
enemy  were  moving  a  large  column  on  his  left,  did  not  advance 
at  once;  but  subsequently  ascertaining  that  no  attack  was 
designed  by  the  force  referred  to,  he  advanced,  drove  in  the 
enemy's  skirmishers,  and  when  night  closed,  was  in  position  on 
ground  previously  held  by  the  enemy. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

BATTLE    OF    PORT   REPUBLIC. 

THE  engagement  in  which  General  Ewell's  command  thus 
defeated  Fremont  is  generally  known  as  the  battle  of  Cross 
Keys.  It  was  to  be  followed  by  a  still  more  decisive  action. 

General  Jackson  had  remained  at  Port  Republic  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  8th  of  June,  expecting  a  renewal  of  the 
attack.  As  no  movement,  however,  was  made  by  Shields  to 
renew  the  action  that  day,  Jackson  determined  to  take  the 
initiative  and  attack  him  on  the  following  morning.  Accord- 


LIFE    OF     STONEWALL    JACKSON.  69 

ingly,  Gen.  Ewell  was  directed  to  move  from  his  position,  at 
an  early  hour  on  the  morning  of  the  9th,  toward  Port  Re 
public,  leaving  General  Trimble,  with  his  brigade,  supported 
by  Col.  Patton,  with  the  42d  Virginia  and  the  1st  battalion 
of  regulars,  to  hold  Fremont  in  check,  with  instructions,  if 
hard  pressed,  to  retire  across  the  North  river  and  burn  the 
bridge  in  their  rear.  Soon  after  10  o'clock,  Gen.  Trimble, 
with  the  last  of  the  Confederate  forces,  had  crossed  the  North 
river,  and  the  bridge  was  destroyed. 

In  the  mean-time,  before  five  in  the  morning,  Gen.  Winder's 
brigade  was  in  Port  Republic,  and,  having  crossed  the  south 
fork  by  a  temporary  wagon  bridge,  placed  there  for  the  pur 
pose,  was  moving  down  the  river  road  to  attack  the  forces  of 
Shields.  Advancing  a  mile  and  a  half,  he  encountered  the 
Federal  pickets  and  drove  them  in.  The  enemy  had  judi 
ciously  selected  his  position  for  defence.  Upon  a  rising 
ground  near  the  Lewis  house  he  had  planted  six  guns,  which 
commanded  the  road  from  Port  Republic  and  swept  the  pla 
teau  for  a  considerable  distance  in  front.  As  Gen.  Winder 
moved  forward  his  brigade,  a  rapid  and  severe  fire  of  shell 
was  opened  upon  it.  Captain  Poague,  with  two  Parrott  guns, 
was  promptly  placed  in  position,  on  the  left  of  the  road,  to 
engage,  and,  if  possible,  dislodge  the  Federal  battery.  Capt. 
Carpenter  was  sent  to  the  right  to  select  a  position  for  his 
battery,  but  finding  it  impracticable  to  drag  it  through  the 
dense  undergrowth,  it  was  brought  back  and  part  of  it  placed 
near  Poague.  The  artillery  was  well  sustained  by  our  bat 
teries,  but  it  soon  became  obvious  that  the  superiority  in  this 
arm  was  on  the  part  of  the  enemy.  Gen.  Winder,  being  now 
reinforced  by  the  7th  Louisiana,  Col.  Hays,  seeing  no  mode 
of  silencing  the  enemy's  battery  and  escaping  its  destructive 
missiles,  but  by  a  rapid  charge  and  the  capture  of  it,  advanced 
with  great  boldness  for  some  distance,  but  encountered  such 
a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  and  small-arms  as  greatly  to  disor 
ganize  his  command,  which  fell  back  in  disorder.  The  enemy 


70  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

advanced  across  the  field,  and,  by  a  heavy  musketry  fire, 
forced  back  our  infantry  support,  in  consequence  of  which 
our  guns  had  to  retire.  The  enemy's  advance  was  checked 
by  a  spirited  attack  upon  their  flank  by  the  58th  and  54th 
Virginia,  directed  by  Gen.  Ewell  and  led  by  Col.  Scott,  al 
though  his  command  was  afterwards  driven  back  to  the  woods 
with  severe  loss.  The  batteries  were  all  safely  withdrawn 
except  one  of  Captain  Poague's  six-pounder  guns,  which  was 
carried  off  by  the  enemy. 

Whilst  Winder's  command  was  in  this  critical  condition, 
the  gallant  and  successful  attack  of  General  Taylor,  on  the 
Federal  left  and  rear,  diverted  attention  from  the  front,  and 
led  to  a  concentration  of  their  force  upon  him.  Moving  to 
the  right  along  the  mountain  acclivity,  through  a  rough  and 
tangled  forest,  and  much  disordered  by  the  rapidity  and  ob 
structions  of  the  march,  Taylor  emerged  with  his  command 
from  the  wood  just  as  the  loud  cheers  of  the  enemy  proclaimed 
their  success  in  front;  and,  although  assailed  by  a  superior 
force  in  front  and  flank,  with  their  guns  in  position  within 
point-blank  range,  the  charge  was  gallantly  made,  and  the 
battery,  consisting  of  six  guns,  fell  into  our  hands.  Three 
times  was  this  battery  lost  and  won  in  the  desperate  and  de 
termined  efforts  to  capture  and  recover  it.  After  holding  the 
battery  for  a  short  time,  a  fresh  brigade  of  the  enemy,  ad 
vancing  on  his  flank,  made  a  vigorous  attack  upon  him,  ac 
companied  by  a  galling  fire  of  canister  from  a  piece  suddenly 
brought  into  position  at  a  distance  of  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty  yards.  Under  this  combined  attack,  Taylor  fell 
back  to  a  skirt  of  the  wood,  near  which  the  captured  bat 
tery  was  stationed,  and  from  that  point  continued  his  fire 
upon  the  advancing  enemy,  who  succeeded  in  recapturing  one 
of  the  guns,  which  he  carried  off,  leaving  both  caisson  and 
limber.  The  enemy  now  occupied  with  Taylor,  halted  his 
advance  to  the  front. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  71 

Winder  made  a  renewed  effort  to  rally  his  command,  and 
succeeding,  with  the  7th  Louisiana  under  Major  Penn  (the 
colonel  and  lieutenant-colonel  having  been  carried  from  the 
field  wounded)  and  the  5th  Virginia,  Col.  Funk,  he  placed 
part  of  Poague's  battery  in  the  position  previously  occupied 
by  it,  and  again  opened  on  the  enemy,  who  was  moving 
against  Taylor's  left  flank  to  surround  him  in  the  woods. 
Chew's  battery  now  reported,  and  was  placed  in  position  and 
did  good  service.  Soon  afterwards,  guns  from  the  batteries 
of  Brockenbrough,  Courtney,  and  Rains  were  brought  forward 
and  placed  in  position.  Whilst  these  movements  were  in 
progress  on  the  left  and  front,  Col.  Scott,  having  rallied  his 
command,  led  them  under  the  orders  of  Gen.  Ewell  to  the 
support  of  Gen.  Taylor,  who,  pushing  forward  with  the  rein 
forcements  just  secured  and  assisted  by  the  well-directed  fire 
of  our  artillery,  forced  the  enemy  to  fall  back,  which  was  soon 
followed  by  his  precipitate ;  retreat,  leaving  many  killed  and 
wounded  upon  the  field.  Gen.  Taliaferro,  who,  on  the  pre 
vious  day,  had  occupied  the  town,  was  directed  to  continue 
to  do  so  with  part  of  his  troops,  and  with  the  remainder  to 
hold  the  elevated  position  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  for 
the  purpose  of  co-operating,  if  necessary,  with  Gen.  Trimble, 
and  preventing  his  being  cut  off  from  the  main  body  of  the 
army,  by  the  destruction  of  the  bridge  in  his  rear.  But  find 
ing  the  resistance  more  obstinate  than  he  anticipated,  Gen. 
Jackson  sent  orders  to  Taliaferro  and  Trimble  to  join  the 
main  body.  Taliaferro  came  up  in  time  to  discharge  an 
effective  volley  into  the  ranks  of  the  wavering  and  retreating 
enemy.  The  pursuit  was  continued  some  five  miles  beyond 
the  battle-field  by  Gens.  Taliaferro  and  Winder,  with  their 
brigades  and  portions  of  the  batteries  of  Wooding  and  Caskie, 
Col.  Munford,  with  cavalry  and  some  artillery,  advancing 
about  three  miles  beyond  the  other  troops. 

The  Confederates  captured  in  the  pursuit  about  450  pris- 


72  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

oners,  some  wagons,  one  piece  of  abandoned  artillery,  and 
about  800  muskets.  Some  275  wounded  were  paroled  in  the 
hospitals  near  Port  Republic. 

Whilst  the  forces  of  Shields  were  in  full  retreat  and  our 
troops  in  pursuit,  Fremont  appeared  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  south  fork  of  the  Shenandoah  with  his  army,  and  opened 
his  artillery  on  our  ambulances  and  parties  engaged  in  the 
humane  labors  of  attending  to  our  dead  and  wounded  and  the 
dead  and  wounded  of  the  enemy.  The  next  day,  withdraw 
ing  his  forces,  he  retreated  down  the  Valley. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th,  Col.  Muuford  entered  Har- 
risonburg,  where,  in  addition  to  wagons,  medical  stores,  and 
camp  equipage,  he  captured  about  200  small-arms,  and  also 
about  200  of  Fremont's  men,  many  of  them  severely  wounded. 
The 'Federal  surgeons  attending  them  were  released,  and  those 
under  their  care  paroled. 

In  the  battles  of  Cross  Keys  and  Port  Republic  our  loss  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing  was  1,096,  including  the  skir 
mish  on  June  6th ;  also  one  piece  of  artillery.  No  estimate 
was  made  of  the  enemy's  killed  and  wounded  in  these  en 
gagements  by  Gen.  Jackson,  but  their  loss  was  unquestionably 
far  greater  than  his  own.  In  addition,  975  prisoners  were 
captured  between  the  6th  and  12th.  The  small-arms  taken 
numbered  about  1,000 ;  and  seven  pieces  of  artillery,  with 
caissons  and  limbers,  fell  into  our  hands. 

On  the  12th,  Jackson  recrossed  South  river,  and  encamped 
near  Weyer's  Cave:  "For  the  purpose  of  rendering  thanks 
to  God  for  having  crowned  our  arms  with  success,"  says  Gen. 
Jackson,  "  and  to  implore  his  continual  favor,  Divine  service 
was  held  in  the  army  on  the  14th."  The  army  remained 
near  Weyer's  Cave  until  the  17th,  when,  having  rested  long 
for  this  command,  it  recommenced  its  march — this  time  for 
a  new  field  of  operations — on  the  banks  of  the  Chickahominy. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  73 

CHAPTER   XII. 

ILLUSTRATIONS — ROMNEY  I    EERNSTOWN. 

WE  have  presented  a  concise  narration  of  that  great  cam 
paign  of  the  Valley  upon  which  Jackson's  fame  will  rest  as 
upon  pillars  of  adamant. 

We  claim  thorough  accuracy  for  all  the  statements  in  rela 
tion  to  these  battles ;  for  the  account  is  given  almost  entirely 
in  the  words  of  General  Jackson's  official  reports.  These 
reports  are  so  full,  so  lucid,  so  exhaustive  of  all  the  main 
great  facts  and  outlines,  that  they  leave  little  to  be  desired  ; 
and  in  narrating  the  events  of  this  portion  of  the  famous  sol 
dier's  career,  we  have  shrunk  from  interrupting  the  history 
given,  so  to  speak,  under  his  own  hand  and  seal,  with  any 
comments,  additions,  or  coloring  of  our  own. 

Something,  however,  remains  to  be  said  in  relation  to  these 
occurrences — some  familiar  details  which  could  not,  with  pro 
priety,  be  given  in  the  official  reports,  may  here'  be  noted 
down.  The  subject  is  not  unworthy  of  such  minute  atten 
tion.  In  relation  to  these  great  events,  every  detail,  however 
trifling,  is  valuable.  By  his  operations  in  this  magnificent 
campaign,  Jackson  will  be  mainly  estimated  in  that  "after 
time"  which  sums  up  and  passes  judgment  upon  all  human 
things  without  fear,  favor,  or  the  prejudices  of  the  contempo 
rary.  In  that  grand  career,  extending  over  barely  two  years, 
but  so  crammed  with  extraordinary  events,  the  names  of 
Kernstown  and  McDowell,  Winchester,  and  Port  Republic, 
will  outshine  .Cold  Harbor,  Manassas,  Sharpsburg,  and  Fred- 
ericksburg.  In  these  latter  battles,  he  was  one  of  General 
Lee's  lieutenants,  carrying  out  the  orders  of  a  commander-in- 
chief,  under  the  eyes  of  that  commander.  In  the  Valley,  he 
was  commanding  in  the  field — far  away  from  the  capital,  and 

4 


74:  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL  JACKSON". 

often  without  communication  with  any  one.  What  he  there 
accomplished  was  due  to  his  own  brain  and  nerve,  and  perfect 
soldiership.  When  the  coming  generations  speak  of  Jackson 
they  will  delight  to  dwell  upon  the  toiling,  marching,  thinking, 
fighting  of  those  two  or  three  months.  Tradition  will  caster 
around  the  least  detail ;  and  the  great  soldier  will  be  insepara 
bly  associated,  in  every  heart,  with  the  beautiful  region  which 
he  loved  so  well. 

From  the  moment  when  he  took  command  of  the  little 
"Army  of  the  Valley,"  General  Jackson  based  all  his  mili 
tary  operations  upon  the  conviction  announced  in  a  letter  to  a 
friend,  dated  March  3,  1862:  "If  this  Valley  is  lost,  Vir 
ginia  is  lost"  His  far-seeing  eye  at  once  discerned  the  long 
train  of  "woes  unnumbered"  which  would  follow  the  occu 
pation  of  the  Shenandoah  Valley  by  the  enemy,  and  every 
faculty  of  his  soul  was  bent  to  the  almost  hopeless  task  of 
holding  it  against  the  strong  column  about  to  advance  upon 
Winchester.  His  expedition  to  Romney  had  this  design  in 
view  ;  and,  perhaps,  no  portion  of  Jackson's  military  opera 
tions  more  accurately  indicates  his  method  of  warfare  than 
this: 

"Please  procure  me,"  he  wrote  a  friend  on  January  29th, 
"thirty-five  miles  of  telegraph  wire  from  this  point  to 
Komney." 

The  point  was  Winchester,  and  from  that  place  he  designed 
watching  the  roads  to  Harper's  Ferry  and  Williamsport — 
able  to  communicate  promptly  with  Loring  at  Komney,  and 
direct  his  operations,  or  to  move  that  force  and  his  own  either 
according  to  the  preconcerted  plan,  or  as  subsequent  opera 
tions  on  the  enemy's  part  dictated.  His  designs  were,  how 
ever,  frustrated  by  the  order  from  the  War  Office  recalling 
General  Loring,  and  he  was  compelled,  greatly  dissatisfied, 
to  go  into  camp  at  Winchester,  and,  instead  of  initiating  the 
campaign,  await  the  movements  of  the  Federals.  He  had 
never  deceived  himself  with  the  idea  that  if  the  enemy  had  time 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  75 

to  collect  and  organize  his  force,  the  Valley  could  be  defended 
by  his  own  little  army.  He  seems  to  have  comprehended 
clearly  that  in  the  strategy  afterwards  employed  by  him 
against  General  Banks  lay  the  sole  prospect  of  success.  That 
was  the  aggressive,  and  from  the  moment  when  this  policy  was 
interdicted,  he  saw  the  coming  event — retreat. 

"  Though  the  troops  under  my  command  are  inadequate  to 
the  defence  of  this  district,"  he  wrote,  "  yet  we  must  look  on 
the  bright  side,  trusting  that  a  kind  Providence  will  continue 
to  give  its  protection  to  this  fair  portion  of  our  Valley.  I 

regret  that should  not   regard  the  success  of  the 

recent  expedition  as  far  outweighing  the  losses  sustained." 

The  winter  passed  away ;  the  enemy  organized  his  force  at 
leisure,  and  the  first  days  of  March  saw  heavy  columns  firmly 
posted  directly  in  front  of  Winchester.  Of  the  situation  at  the 
moment,  Jackson  wrote  on  March  3d : 

"  My  plan  is  to  put  on  as  bold  a  front  as  possible,  and  to 
use  every  means  in  my  power  to  prevent  his  advance,  whilst 
our  re-organization  is  going  on.  What  I  desire  is  to  hold  the 
country,  as  far  as  practicable,. until  we  are  in  a  condition  to 
advance ;  and  then,  with  God's  blessing,  let  us  make  thorough 
work  of  it.  ...  Banks,  who  commands  about  35,000  men, 
has  his  headquarters  at  Charlestown;  Kelly,  who  has  suc 
ceeded  Lander,  has  probably  11,000,  with  his  headquarters 
near  Paw  Paw.  Thus  you  see  two  generals,  whose  united  force 
is  near  46,000,  of  troops  already  organized  for  three  years  or 
the  war,  opposed  to  our  little  force  here.  But  I  do  not  feel 
discouraged.  Let  me  have  what  force  you  can.  ...  I  am 
delighted  to  hear  you  say  that  Virginia  is  resolved  to  concen 
trate  all  her  resources,  if  necessary,  to  the  defence  of  herself. 
Now  we  may  look  for  war  in  earnest.  .  • .  .  I  have  only  to  say 
this — that  if  this  Valley  is  lost,  Virginia  is  lost."  The  defence 
of  the  Valley  was  the  dearest  object  of  Jackson's  heart,  not 
only  then,  but  always,  and  he  subsequently  alluded  to  his  deep 
solicitude  upon  this  point,  writing  :  u  It  is  but  natural  that  I 


Y6  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

should  feel  a  deep  and  abiding  interest  in  the  people  of  tho 
Valley,  where  are  the  homes  of  so  many  of  my  brave  soldiers, 
who  have  been  with  me  so  long,  and  whose  self-sacrificing 
patriotism  has  been  so  thoroughly  tested." 

This  affection  of  the  great  soldier  for  the  Shenandoali 
Valley  was  more  than  returned  by  its  inhabitants.  Jackson 
is  famous  everywhere  throughout  the  world,  but  the  people  cf 
that  region  first  saw  and  hailed  the  rising  sun  of  his  renowi . 
All  lovers  of  purity  and  goodness  now  look  to  him  as  a  nobla 
type  of  earnest,  truthful  manhood;  but  the  dwellers  on  tha 
banks  of  the  Shenandoah  cherish  his  memory  with  a  deeper 
affection — as  that  of  one  whose  brain,  and  heart,  and  am, 
were  dedicated  to  their  defence. 

The  reinforcements — ardently  longed  for  and  persistently 
urged — did  not  arrive.  The  march  to  Romney  and  consequent 
suffering  of  the  troops  had  still  further  diminished  Jackson's 
little  army.  It  was  reduced  now  to  about  4,000  men,  and 
the  enemy  were  advancing  with  46,000.  Winchester  must 
be  evacuated,  and  Jackson  slowly  and  sullenly  falls  back, 
doggedly  retiring  before  the  huge  columns  of  the  enemy,  but 
striking  their  advance  at  every  step  with  his  cavalry  under 
Ashby.  He  has  fallen  back  nearly  to  Staunton,  when  sud 
denly  his  weary  troops  are  faced  about,  march  down  th3 
Valley,  and  at  Kernstown  find  themselves  in  front  of  the 
Federal  army  under  Shields.  Jackson  has  traversed  nearly 
fifty  miles,  moving  so  rapidly  that  only  2,700  have  been  abl<3 
to  keep  up,  but  he  is  in  time.  Sedgwick  has  crossed  tho 
Blue  Ridge  through  Snicker's  Gap,  and  the  head  of  hi.s 
column  of  15,000  men  is  at  Middleburg,  ready  to  strike  Gen 
eral  Johnston,  who,  falling  back  from  Centreville,  has  reached 
the  Rapidan,  when  the  roar  of  artillery  from  the  direction  of 
Winchester  arrests  the  Federal  general's  march.  Dispatches 
quickly  come  from  Shields  that  Jackson  is  pressing  him  hard 
with  a  force  of  unknown  size,  and  General  Sedgwick  faces 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  77 

about  and  returns  to  the  assistance  of  the  11,000  who  are 
threatened  at  Kernstown  by  Jackson's  2,700. 

Such  were  the  circumstances  under  which  the  battle  of 
Kernstown  was  fought.  By  assailing  Shields,  Jackson  with 
drew  a  force  of  15,000  of  the  enemy  from  the  projected  attack 
upon  Johnston — inflicted  a  heavy  loss  upon  the  foe,  and  re 
tired  with  all  his  baggage  and  artillery,  except  two  pieces  dis 
abled.  His  enemies  declared  that  his  brain  was  diseased,  or 
he  never  would  have  broken  down  his  troops  by  this  tremen 
dous  forced  march,  to  attack  an  enemy  nearly  five  times  as 
strong  as  himself,  and  for  no  considerable  object.  Jackson  did 
not  contradict  these  statements — he  went  upon  his  way. 

The  following  brief  notices  and  details  of  the  battle  of  Kerns 
town,  from  contemporary  publications,  mayp  rove  of  interest 
hereafter : 

The  writer  of  these  pages  has  not  considered  it  necessary 
here,  or  elsewhere,  to  indicate  the  particulars  in  which  the 
letter-writers  err  in  their  statements  of  the  main  facts.  The 
narratives  of  the  battles  already  given  will  point  out  their  dis 
crepancies  ;  and  the  familiar  details  will  remain  for  what  they 
are  worth. 

"  The  name  of  Kernstown  will  shine  proudly  in  our  annals. 
The  engagement  at  that  place  was  the  most  desperate,  and,  all 
things  considered,  the  most  successful  of  the  war.  It  was  not 
a  defeat ;  it  was  a  drawn  battle,  at  the  close  of  which  both 
parties  retired,  the  enemy  to  a  greater  distance  than  our  men, 
who  slept  almost  upon  the  battle-field.  Jackson  made  the  at 
tack  in  obedience  to  orders.  The  blow  was  struck  for  a  pur 
pose,  and  that  purpose  was  fully  accomplished ;  it  was,  there 
fore,  a  victory.  The  marvel  is  that  Jackson's  men  were  able 
to  fight  at  all,  much  less  a  force  of  five  to  one  in  a  carefully 
chosen  position.  His  troops  had  marched  forty-five  miles  in 
a  day  and  a  half — they  had  been  marching  constantly  for  a 
week  or  two  before — and  when  they  arrived  at  the  scene  of 
action,  part  of  the  small  army  was  far  in  the  rear.  Fatigued, 
worn  out,  the  little  band  of  patriots  '  attacked  at  once  and  fu- 


78  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

riously'  the  huge  enemy  before  them.  The'Shriver  Greys,' 
a  gallant  handful  of  exiles  from  Wheeling,  only  30  strong, 
were  thrown  out  as  skirmishers  to  feel  the  enemy,  and  it  too'k 
three  regiments  of  the  Yankees  to  drive  them  back.  The  21st 
Virginia  regiment,  commanded  by  Col.  Patton,  and  containing 
our  own  noble  '  Co.  F,'  fr°m  Richmond,  made  a  splendid 
fight.  Gen.  Jackson,  we  hear,  complimented  them  for  their 
bravery,  and  assigned  them  hereafter  the  position  of  the  ad 
vance  guard — a  proud  tribute  to  their  pluck  and  bravery. 
The  Irish  battalion  fought  like  tigers — or,  which  is  the  same 
thing,  like  Irishmen.  The  'Stonewall  Brigade' came  up  to 
the  support  of  the  21st,  and  did  its  work  heroically,  as  we  all 
knew  it  would.  The  men  who  held  Patterson's  whole  army 
at  bay,  and  who  won  on  the  field  of  Manassas  a  name  that  will 
live  as  lung  as  the  English  tongue  is  spoken,  gathered  new 
laurels  at  Kernstown.  Five  times  the  intrepid  Jackson  led  his 
veterans  to  the  charge  and  drove  back  the  enormous  columns 
of  the  enemy.  Night  fell  upon  the  combatants  before  the  re 
inforcements  of  either  party  could  come  up.  Twenty-seven 
hundred  Virginians  had  attacked  12,000  Yankees — the  lowest 
estimate  of  the"  enemy  themselves — and  when  the  fight  closed, 
83  of  our  men  lay  dead  on  the  field,  with  416  Yankee  corpses 
by  their  side.  Disclaiming'  any  invidiousness,  any  State  vani 
ty,  we  can  but  feel  proud  of  our  soldiers.  We  glory  in  them 
all,  come  from  what  part  of  the  State  they  may,  and  in  none 
more  than  the  men  of  the  Valley. 


"  The  knightliest  of  the  knightly  race, 

Who,  since  the  days  of  old, 
Have  kept  the  lamp  of  chivalry 

Alight  in  hearts  of  gold — 
The  kindliest  of  the  kindly  band, 

Who,  rarely  hating  ease, 
Yet  rode  with  Spotswood  round  the  land 

And  llaleigh  round  the  seas — 


"Who  climbed  the  blue  Virginian  hills 

Against  embattled  foes, 
And  planted  there  in  valleys  fair, 

The  lily  and  the  rose — 
Whose  fragrance  lives  in  many  lands, 

Whose  beauty  stars  the  earth, 
And  lights  the  hearths  of  many  homes 

With  loveliness  and  worth ! 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  79 

1  We  thought  they  slept !  the  sons  who  kept 

The  names  of  noble  sires, 
And  slumbered  while  the  darkness  crept 

Around  their  vigil  fires ! 
But  still  the  Golden  Horse-shoe  Knights 

Their  Old  Dominion  keep, 
Whose  foes  have  found  enchanted  ground, 

But  not  a  knight  asleep." 


Another  writer  says  : 

"The  fight  was  made  by  the  Yankees  as  they  fought  at 
Manassas,  first  making  a  demonstration  on  our  right,  and  then 
throwing  their  whole  force  rapidly  to  our  left.  An  *  artillery 
duel '  was  kept  up  until  about  four  o'clock,  our  forces  moving 
gradually  to  the  left,  when  the  enemy's  infantry  advanced  in 
force.  They  were  met  by  the  37th  and  21st  Virginia  regi 
ments,  and  repulsed  three  times.  Three  times  the  Stars  and 
Stripes  fell,  and  three  times  did  our  gallant  troops  drive  them 
headlong  down  the  hill.  The  1st  brigade,  the  '  Stonewall,' 
then  came  up,  and  again  a  fresh  column  of  the  enemy  was 
driven  back,  leaving  the  side  of  the  hill  black  with  their 
dead  and  wounded.  *  * 

"  No  battle  has  been  fought  during  the  war  against  such 
odds  and  under  the  same  trying  circumstances.  The"  Yan 
kees  fought  better  than  at  Manassas,  but  their  officers  could 
be  seen  riding  behind  their  columns  sabring  the  men  on  to 
the  work.  While  the  battle  lasted,  the  firing  was  sharper  and 
more  rapid  than  on  the  glorious  21st  of  July.  It  was  equally 
as  hard  a  fought  battle,  and  against  greater  odds ;  and  if  not 
so  successful  on  our  side,  the  result  leaves  no  blush  of  shame 
behind,  and  adds  new  laurels  to  the  desperate  bravery  of  both 
officers  and  men  of  our  little  army.  •  * 

"  Letters  received  from  Winchester  last  night,  from  relia 
ble  persons,  state  that  there  is  '  no  exultation  among  the  Yan 
kees,  and  that  they  look  upon  Jackson's  army  as  a  band  of 
heroes.'  Our  ladies  in  Winchester  gave  every  attention  to 
our  wounded  and  prisoners.  For  the  first  time  since  the 
Yankees  entered  the  town,  they  crowded  the  streets,  and  the 
march  of  our  men  to  the  railroad  depot  was,  as  one  expresses 
it,  *  a  march  of  triumph  rather  than  of  defeat.'  The  Yankees 
did  not  interfere  with  this  patriotic  demonstration,  or  the 
shouts  of  our  brave  boys  for  Jeff.  Davis  and  the  Confed 
eracy.'  The  same  letters  represent  the  Yankees  as  looking 


80  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

upon  Jackson's  army,  particularly  Colonel  Ashby's  cavalry 
with  fear  and  trembling.  The  men  claim  no  victory  over  us, 
though  the  usual  noise  will  be  made  in  their  papers.  Our 
people  on  the  border  look  upon  our  gallant  fight  on  Sunday  in 
the  light  of  a  victory,  and  seem  cheerful  and  hopeful. 

"  It  is  useless  to  say  that  General  Jackson  acted  bravely  ; 
he  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  and  exposed  to  every 
danger.  A  braver  man  God  never  made.  Colonel  Allen,  of 
the  2d  Virginia  distinguished  himself.  Three  times  the  flag 
of  the  2d  Virginia  was  shot  down,  and  the  staff  shot  away. 
Colonel  Allen,  the  masses  of  the  enemy  close  upon  him, 
jumped  from  his  horse  and  carried  the  colors  from  the  field. 
Colonel  Taliaferro,  of  the  21st,  had  his  horse  shot  under  him, 
and  acted  his  part  well.  Colonel  Echols,  of  the  27th,  had 
his  arm  badly  broken  while  leading  his  men  to  the  field. 
Colonel  Burks,  of  the  42d,  received  six  shots  through  his 
clothing,  and  his  horse  was  shot  four  times.  Lieutenant  Dall, 
of  Delaware,  who  joined  the  5th  at  Harper's  Ferry,  was 
killed,  fighting  bravely.  Captain  Austin,  of  the  5th,  was 
badly  wounded,  and  left  on  the  field.  Captain  Robertson,  of 
the  27th,  going  on  the  field  lame,  was  taken  prisoner.  Lieut. 
Juukin,  General  Jacksou's  aid-de-camp,  was  taken  prisoner. 
He  mistook  a  body  of  Yankees  for  our  men,  and  was  taken. 
The  whole  army  regrets  the  loss  of  the  gallant  lieutenant. 
Captain  Morrison  and  Lieutenant  Lisle,  of  the  Liberty  Hall 
Volunteers,  of  Washington  College,  who  fought  so  gallantly 
at  Mauassas,  were  taken,  and  his  company  badly  cut  up. 

"Colonel  Ash  by  held  the  right,  and  before  the  fight  was 
over  was  completely  in  the  rear  of  the  enemy.  He  covered 
our  retreat,  and  by  his  tireless  energy  has  made  himself  the 
terror  of  the  Yankees." 


Another  writer  says  *, 

"  Reliable  advices  from  Winchester  represent  the  loss  of 
the  enemy  in  killed  at  near  1,500,  and  the  wounded  at  a  much 
larger  figure.  It  is  said  that  about  360  dead  bodies  were 
brought  to  Winchester  for  transportation  Northward.  These, 
as  we  suppose,  were  the  elite,  whose  friends  were  able  to  in 
cur  the  cost  of  removal.  The  mass  of  course,  were  buried 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  battle-field. 

"Upon  inquiring  as  to  the  cause  of  the  disparity  in  the 
casualties  in  the  two  armies,  I  learn,  from  some  of  our  men. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  81 

that  the  enemy  were  so  thick  that  it  was  impossible  for  our 
men  to  miss.  Every  shot  took  effect — it'  it  missed  the  column 
at  which  it  was  aimed,  it  was  sure  to  hit  one  in  the  rear. 

"  The  most  deadly  strife  occurred  near  the  boundary  of  two 
fields  which  were  separated  by  a  stone  wall.  Two  of  our  regi 
ments  were  in  one  field,  and  six  Yankee  regiments  in  the 
other.  At  first  they  fired  across  the  wall,  but  after  a  while, 
each  party  advanced  in  a  run,  to  get  the  benefit  of  the  shelter 
of  the  wall.  Our  men  reached  it  first,  and  the  Yankees  were 
then  about  40  yards  distant.  Our  men  immediately  dropped 
on  their  knees,  and  taking  deliberate  aim,  fired  deadly  volleys 
into  the  advancing  lines  of  the  enemy.  The  effect  was  ter 
rific,  and  it  is  said  that  an  Ohio  and  a  Pennsylvania  regiment, 
which  were  in  advance,  were  almost  annihilated.  It  is  said 
that  after  this  fire  not  more  than  20  men  of  one  of  these  regi 
ments  were  left  standing. 

"We  lost  two  guns  in  the  battle — onAfrom  the  Rockbridge 
and  one  from  the  Augusta  battery.  The  Rockbridge  gun 
was  struck  by  a  cannon-ball  and  disabled.  The  loss  of  the 
other  was  caused  by  the  killing  of  one  of  the  horses,  which 
frightened  the  others,  and  caused  them  to  turn  suddenly  and 
capsize  the  carriage.  The  enemy  were  close  upon  us,  and  left 
no  time  to  replace  it.  Our  men.  however,  cut  out  and  se 
cured  all  the  horses  but  one,  and  he  was  cut  out  by  the 
enemy,  and  escaped  from  them,  and  came  galloping  to  our 
camp.  It  would  seem  as  if  even  the  horses  were  infected 
with  the  spirit  of  rebellion  and  hatred  to  the  Yankees." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


MAY,  1862,  was  looked  forward  to  by  the  Federal  authori 
ties  as  the  great  month — the  hinge  of  the  crisis  upon  which 
it  would  turn. 

Their  plans  were  not  deficient  in  ingenuity,  and  promised 
favorable  results.  Upon  the  Confederate  capital  four  armies 


82  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

were  about  to  converge — Fremont  from  the  West,  Banks 
from  the  Valley,  McDowell  from  Fredericksburg,  and  Mc- 
Clellan  from  the  Peninsula.  Fremont  and  Banks,  having 
united  their  forces,  were  to  cut  all  the  communications,  and 
sweep  down  upon  the  ^devoted  capital  from  the  mountains ; 
McClellan  was  to  march  to  the  Chickahominy,  and  extend 
his  right  wing  far  up  that  stream ;  and,  at  the  same  time, 
McDowell  was  to  advance  from  Fredericksburg  and  extend 
his  left  wing  until  it  formed  a  junction  with  McClellan's 
right.  The  combined  forces  were  thus  to  surround  Rich 
mond  on  the  east  and  north  with  a  cordon  of  fire.  Between 
the  army  ascending  the  Peninsula  and  the  army  descending 
from  the  mountains,  the  capital  of  the  Confederacy  must,  in 
this  month  of  May,  Ijfc  evacuated  or  destroyed. 

To  defeat  these  plans,  only  two  obstacles  existed — but  they 
were  serious.  These  obstacles  were  General  Johnston  and 
General  Jackson.  The  forces  under  their  commands  were 
far  outnumbered  by  those  of  the  enemy;  but  God  had  en 
dowed  these  two  leaders  with  a  genius  for  war  which  more 
than  supplied  the  lack  of  numbers. 

The  purpose  of  these  pages  is  to  exhibit  the  part  enacted 
in  the  great  drama  by  General  Stonewall  Jackson ;  and  the 
narrative  of  his  battles  in  the  Valley  has  been  given.  We 
proceed  now  to  add,  in  relation  to  the  great  combats  which 
succeeded  Kernstown,  those  illustrations  mentioned  above. 

From  Kernstowu,  Jackson  fell  back,  as  we  have  seen,  to 
ward  Staunton,  pursued  by  Gen.  Banks.  Crossing  to  Swift 
Run  Gap,  he  took  up  a  strong  position  there,  ready  to  march 
in  any  direction,  and  confronted  the  enemy,  so  long  following 
upon  his  trail.  Many  skirmishes  took  place,  but  nothing  de 
cisive  occurred ;  and  Gen.  Banks  finally  fell  back,  in  order  to 
unite  his  force  with  that  of  Fremont,  approaching  from  the 
West — probably,  also,  with  expected  reinforcements  from 
McDowell  at  Fredericksburg.  Jackson  took  advantage  of 
this  movement  after  his  own  fashion,  and,  marching  around 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  83 

Staunton,  went  to  meet  Milroy  and  Schenck,  who  were  ap 
proaching  that  place  from  Western  Virginia.  The  battle  of 
McDowell  followed,  as  has  been  seen,  and  the  expected  junc 
tion  between  Fremont  and  Banks  was  defeated.  The  follow 
ing  details  of  this  engagement  are  taken  from  a  letter  written 
on  May  the  21st,  near  Franklin,  whither  the  enemy  had  been 
pursued : 

"  About  this  time,  '  Old  Stonewall'  passed  up  the  road,  and 
had  a  consultation  with  Gen.  Johnson.  Soon  after  the  con 
sultation,  Johnson's  army  pushed  up  the  road  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy  towards  Shenancloah  mountain,  followed  by  Jack 
son's.  When  we  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  on  the 
east  side,  we  found  a  regiment  of  Yankees  had  been  camped 
there,  but  had  left  on  hearing  of  our  appearance,  leaving  be 
hind  all  their  tents,  clothing,  commissary  stores,  and  a  number 
of  small-arms,  most  of  which  they  broke  the  stocks  of,  but 
several  cases  were  left  unopened  and  in  fine  order. 

"  After  scouting  the  mountain  thoroughly,  we  found  that 
three  regiments  had  been  camped  upon  the  top,  but  upon  our 
approach  had  made  a  hasty  retreat. 

"  When  we  arrived  upon  the  summit,  we  could  see  the 
enemy  in  hasty  retreat  on  the  east  side  of  Bull  Pasture  Moun 
tain,  about  five  miles  in  advance.  It  being  late  in  the  day, 
our  commander  thought  it  prudent  to  halt  and  go  into  camp 
for  the  night. 

'%  At  sunrise  the  next  morning,  we  were  again  on  the  line 
of  march  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  When  we  arrived  at  Bull 
Pasture  Mountain,  we  ascended  to  its  summit,  when  Ashby's 
scouts  reported  that  the  Yankees  had  placed  four  pieces  of 
artillery  on  the  road  leading  to  McDowell,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  mountain,  where  the  road  passes  through  a  narrow  gorge. 
The  heights  commanding  Monterey  were  also  in  possession  of 
the  enemy,  with  artillery  planted. 


"We  expected  to  renew  the  fight  the  next  morning,  but 
the  bird  had  flown,  leaving  behind,  at  McDowell,  where  3,000 
were  encamped,  all  his  camp  equipage,  a  large  quantity  of 
ammunition,  a  number  of  cases  of  Enfield  rifles,  together 
with  about  100  head  of  cattle,  which  they  had  stolen,  being 
mostly  milch  cows. 


84  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

"At  McDowell,  Milroy's  headquarters,  great  destruction 
was  done  to  private  property. 

"  The  Yankees  had  been  enjoying  themselves  finely.  They 
had  erected  large  bake-ovens,  and  the  officers'  kitchens  were 
all  provided  with  large  cooking-stoves  of  the  most  improved 
pattern. 

"  On  the  retreat,  our  cavalry  overtook  and  captured  a  num 
ber  of  prisoners.  Among  them  was  a  colonel,  and  an  able- 
bodied  negro  worth  at  least  $1,500. 

"  We  have  found  a  number  of  dead  and  many  graves  along 
the  road,  besides  abandoned  wagons  and  broken-down  horses. 
I  learn  this  morning  that  103  dead  Yankees  have  been  found 
in  the  mountain  hollow,  near  McDowell,  covered  with  brush. 

"  People  along  the  road  tell  us  that  they  pressed  all  their 
horses  to  carry  off  their  artillery,  &c. 

"We  arrived  at  this  place  yesterday  (Sunday)  about  three 
o'clock,  p.  M.  On  our  approach,  the  enemy  took  to  the 
mountains,  where  they  had  planted  artillery,  and  set  fire  to 
all  the  works.  So  dense  was  the  smoke,  that  we  could  not 
find  the  position  until  night  fell,  when  it  was  too  dark  to  shell 
them.  In  fact,  it  is  very  hard  to  drive  an  enemy  from  the 
mountain  heights,  as  you  can  seldom  get  a  position  for  artil 
lery.  This  morning  our  scouts  are  out  in  search  of  a  position, 
and  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  Yankees,  but  I  have  not 
yet  heard  from  them. 

"  Northwestern  Virginia  is  now  nearly  free  from  the  scoun 
drels. 

"  I  do  not  know  our  destination,  as  General  Jackson  never 
tells  any  one  his  plans,  not  even  his  brigadiers  and  aids. 

"  The  Yankees  had  put  up  a  telegraph  wire  almost  to  Mon 
terey  ;  but,  on  our  approach,  they  abandoned  the  work,  leaving 
several  tons  of  wire,  ladders,  <fec.,  behind. 

"The  fight,  I _ suppose,  will  be  renewed  as  soon  as  General 
Jackson  ascertains  the  enemy's  position." 


One  passage  in  the  above  letter  will  seem  a  very  unneces 
sary  announcement  to  those  who  knew  the  habits  of  Jackson — 
"  I  do  not  know  our  destination,  as  General  Jackson  never  tells 
any  one  his  plans,  not  even  his  brigadiers  and  aids."  This 
statement  will  excite  the  amusement  of  many  persons ;  for  it 
is  made  in  relation  to  a  man  who  declared,  that  "  if  his  coat 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  85 

knew  what  he  intended  to  do,  he  would  take  it  off  and  burn 
it" — and  who  said  on  another  occasion,  in  the  low,  quiet 
voice  peculiar  to  him,  "  Mystery — mystery  is  the  secret  of 
success !" 

Jackson  returned  devout  thanks  for  his  victory,  and  we 
have  in  the  letter  of  a  correspondent,  the  following  allusion 
to  the  scene : 

"  A  significant  illustration  of  the  elevated  virtues  and  prin 
ciples  which  governed  Jackson's  public  acts  was  given  on 
Monday  last,  three  miles  north  of  Franklin,  in  Pendleton 
county.  On  the  morning  of  that  day,  he  addressed  his  troops 
in  a  few  terse  and  pointed  remarks,  thanking  them  for  the 
courage,  endurance,  and  soldierly  conduct  displayed  at  the 
battle  of  McDowell,  on  Thursday,  the  8th  instant,  and  closed 
by  appointing  10  o'clock  of  that  day,  as  an  occasion  of  prayer 
and  thanksgiving  throughout  the  army,  for  the  victory  which 
followed  that  bloody  engagement.  There,  in  the  beautiful 
little  valley  of  the  South  Branch,  with  the  blue  and  towering 
mountains  covered  with  the  verdure  of  Spring,  the  green  sward 
smiling  a  welcome  to  the  season  of  flowers,  and  the  bright 
sun,  unclouded,  lending  a  genial,  refreshing  warmth,  that 
army,  equipped  for  the  stern  conflict  of  war,  bent  in  humble 
praise  and  thanksgiving  to  the  God  of  Battles  for  the  success 
vouchsafed  to  our  arms  in  the  recent  sanguinary  encounter  of 
the  two  armies.  While  this  solemn  cere'mony  was  progress 
ing  in  every  regiment,  the  minds  of  the  soldiery  drawn  off" 
from  the  bayonet  and  sabre,  the  enemy's  artillery  was  occa 
sionally  belching  forth  its  leaden  death,  yet  all  unmoved 
stood  that  worshipping  army,  acknowledging  the  supremacy 
of  the  will  of  Him  who  controls  the  destinies  of  men  and 
nations,  and  chooses  the  weaker  things  of  earth  to  confound 
the  mighty. 

"  Gen.  Jackson  is  one  of  the  purest  men  I  ever  knew.  He 
is  far  above  all  political  or  personal  considerations.  He  is  a 
Christian  patriot,  deeply  impressed  with  the  righteousness  of 
the  cause  in  which  he  has  unsheathed  his  sword,  and,  depend 
ing  upon  the  aid  of  a  just  God,  determined  to  win  the  freedom 
of  his  country,  or  perish  in  the  holy  effort." 

The  battle  of  McDowell  was  fought  on  the  8th  of  May ;  and 


86  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

was  announced  by  Jackson  in  his  habitual  terms  of  piety  and 
simplicity — "God  blessed  our  arms  with  victory  at  McDowell 
yesterday."  Then  he  went  after  Banks. 

His  design  now  required  energy,  nerve,  rapidity  of  move 
ment,  and  all  the  greatest  faculties  of  the  soldier.  The  design 
was  to  defeat  or  drive  Banks  before  him  across  the  Potomac ; 
to  thus  divert  McDowell  from  his  projected  junction  with 
McClellan  in  front  of  Richmond ;  and  in  the  event  that  success 
crowned  his  arms,  to  cross  into  Maryland  and  advance  to 
attack  Washington. 

The  authorities  at  Washington  realized  their  danger.  Lin 
coln's  dispatches  teem  with  allusions  to  the  suspected  designs 
of  Jackson.  On  the  17th  of  May,  he  writes  to  Gen. 
McClellan : 

"  In  order,  therefore,  to  increase  the  strength  of  the  attack 
upon  Richmond,  at  the  earliest  moment,  Gen.  McDowell  has 
been  ordered  to  march  upon  that  city  by  the  shortest  route. 
He  is  ordered — keeping  himself  always  in  a  position  to  cover 
the  Capital  from  all  possible  attack — so  to  operate  as  to  put 
his  left  wing  in  communication  with  your  right.  *  *  * 
The  specific  task  assigned  to  his  command,  has  been  to  pro 
vide  against  any  danger  to  the  Capital  of  the  nation.  At  your 
earliest  call  for  reinforcements  he  is  sent  forward  to  co-operate 
in  the  reduction  of  Richmond,  but  charged  in  attempting  this, 
not  to  uncover  the  city  of  Washington  ;  and  you  will  give  no 
orders,  either  before  or  after  your  junction,  which  can  put  him 
out  of  position  to  cover  this  city" 

On  the  21st  of  May,  Lincoln  writes  to  McDowell,  at  Fred- 
ericksburg : 

"  Gen.  Fremont  has  been  ordered  by  telegraph  to  move  from 
Franklin  on  Harrisonburg  to  relieve  Gen.  Banks  and  capture 
or  destroy  Jackson's  or  Ewell's  forces. 

"You  are  instructed,  laying  aside  for  the  present  the  move 
ment  on  Richmond,  to  put  twenty  thousand  men  in  motion 
at  once  for  the  Shenandoah,  moving  on  the  line  or  in  the 
advance  of  the  Manassas  Gap  Railroad.  Your  object  will  be 
to  capture  the  forces  of  Jackson  and  Ewell,  either  in  co-oper 
ation  with  Gen.  Fremont,  or  in  case  of  a  want  of  supplies  or 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  87 

transportation  interferes  with  his  movement,  it  is  believed  that 
the  force  with  which  you  move  will  be  sufficient  to  accom 
plish  the  object  alone.  The  information  thus  received  here 
makes  it  probable  that  if  the  enemy  operate  actively  against 
Banks  you  will  not  be  able  to  count  upon  much  assistance 
from  him,  but  may  even  have  to  release  him.  Reports  re 
ceived  this  moment  are  that  Banks  is  fighting  with  Ewell 
eight  miles  from  Winchester." 

General  McDowell  replies,  on  May  24th.  "  The  President's 
order  has  been  received — is  in  process  of  execution.  This 
is  a  crushing  blt>w  to  us."  He  adds,  on  the  same  day  :  "  I 
beg  to  say  that  co-operation  between  Fremont  and  myself,  to 
cut  off  Jackson  or  Ewell,  is  not  to  be  counted  upon,  even  if 
it  is  not  a  practical  impossibility.  Next,  that  I  am  entirely 
beyond  helping  distance  of  General  Banks,  and  no  celerity  or 
vigor  will  avail,  so  far  as  he  is  concerned.  Next,  that  by  a 
glance  at  the  map,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  line  of  retreat  of 
the  enemy's  forces  up  the  Valley  is  shorter  than  mine  to  go 
against  him.  It  will  take  a  week  or  ten  days  for  my  force  to 
go  to  the  Valley  by  this  route,  which  will  give  it  good  forage, 
and  by  that  time  the  enemy  will  have  retreated.  I  shall  gain 
nothing  for  you  there,  and  shall  gain  much  for  you  here.  It 
is,  therefore,  not  only  on  personal  grounds  that  I  have  a  heavy 
heart  in  the  matter,  but  that  I  feel  it  throws  us  all  back,  and 
from  Richmond,  North,  we  shall  have  all  our  large  masses 
paralyzed,  and  shall  have  to  repeat  what  we  have  just  accom 
plished.  I  have  ordered  General  Shields  to  commence  a 
movement  by  to-morrow  morning.  A  second  division  will  fol 
low  in  the  afternoon." 

Such  was  the  position  of  the  pieces  on  the  great  chess 
board  of  war  at  the  end  of  May.  McClellan  threatening 
Johnston  at  Richmond,  and  clamoring  for  McDowell — Lin 
coln,  in  Washington,  telegraphing  McDowell  to  "put  20,000 
men  in  motion"  to  destroy  Jackson,  and  "  cover"  his  beloved 
capital.  The  situation  was  not  without  elements  of  the  gro 
tesque — and  the  complicated  movements  of  the  Federal  Gen- 


88  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

erals  McClellan,  Banks,  McDowell,  Shields,  Milroy,  and  Fremont 
might  have  puzzled  the  brains  of  the  most  thorough  master  of 
the  art  of  war. 

The  problem  was  soon  solved,  however — the  Deus  Ex 
Machina  appeared  in  the  shape  of  General  Jackson.  The 
battle  of  Winchester  has  been  narrated  ;  but  another  account 
of  the  affair  exists — Gen.  Banks'.  It  is  headed :  "  Official 
Report  of  the  March  of  the  First  Division,  Fifth  Corps 
(TArmee,  from  Strasburg,  Va.,  to  Williamsport,  Maryland, 
on  1±th  and  25th  days  of  May,  1862."  It  is  somewhat  singu 
lar  that  General  Banks  should  call  the  movement  of  his  troops 
a  march,  when,  after  telling  pathetically  how  "  Colonel  Kenly's 
force  had  been  destroyed"  at  Front  Royal,  he  adds  :  "  It  was, 
therefore,  determined  to  enter  the  lists  with  the  enemy  in  a 
race  or  a  battle — as  he  should  choose — for  the  possession  of 
Winchester,  the  key  of  the  Valley,  and  for  us  the  position  of 
safety."  The  "  inarch"  was  really  a  "  race,"  as  General  Banks 
inadvertently  calls  it  in  his  text ;  and  here  are  some  extracts 
from  his  account  of  the  affair  : 

"  The  strength  and  purpose  of  the  enemy  were  to  us  un 
known  when  we  reached  Winchester,  except  upon  uncertain 
reports  and  unsatisfactory  reconnoissances.  Our  suspicions 
were  strengthened  by  the  vigor  with  which  the  enemy  had 
passed  our  main  column,  and  defeated  at  every  point  the 
efforts  of  detachments  to  effect  a  junction  with  the  main 
body. 

"At  Winchester,  however,  all  suspense  was  relieved  on  that 
subject.  All  classes — Secessionists,  Union  men,  refugees,  fu 
gitives  and  prisoners — agreed  that  the  enemy's  force  at  or 
near  Winchester  was  overwhelming,  ranging  from  twenty-five 
to  thirty  thousand.  Rebel  officers,  who  came  into  our  camp 
with  entire  unconcern,  supposing  that  their  own  troops  occu 
pied  the  town,  and  were  captured,  confirmed  these  statements, 
and  added  that  an  attack  would  be  made  upon  us  at  day 
break.  I  determined  to  test  the  substance  and  strength  of 
the  enemy  by  actual  collision,  and  measures  were  promptly 
taken  to  prepare  our  troops  to  meet  them.  They  had  taken 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  89 

up  their  positions  on  entering  the  town  after  dark  without  ex 
pectations  of  a  battle,  and  were  at  disadvantage  as  compared 
with  the  enemy. 

"  The  rattling  of  musketry  was  heard  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  night,  and  before  the  break  of  day  a  sharp  engagement 
occurred  at  the  outposts.  Soon  after  four  o'clock  the  artillery 
opened  its  fire,  which  was  continued  without  cessation  till  the 
close  of  the  engagement. 

"The  right  of  our  line  was  occupied  by  the  Third  Bri 
gade,  Colonel  George  H.  Gordon  commanding.  The  regi 
ments  wer.e  strongly  posted,  and  near  the  centre  covered  by 
stone  wralls  from  the  fire  of  the  enemy. 

"  Their  infantry  opened  on  the  right,  and  soon  both  lines 
were  under  heavy  fire. 

"  The  left  was  occupied  by  the  First  Brigade,  Col.  Dudley 
Donnelly  commanding. 

"The  line  was  weak  compared  with  that  of  the  enemy; 
but  the  troops  were  well  posted,  and  patiently  awaited,  as  they 
nobly  improved,  their  coming  opportunity.  The  earliest 
movements  of  the  enemy  were  on  our  left,  two  regiments 
being  seen  to  move  as  with  the  purpose  of  occupying  a  posi 
tion  in  flank  or  rear.  General  Williams  ordered  a  detach 
ment  of  cavalry  to  intercept  this  movement,  when  it  was 
apparently  abandoned.  The  enemy  suffered  very  serious  loss 
from  the  fire  of  our  infantry  on  the  left.  One  regiment  is 
represented,  by  persons  present  during  the  action,  and  after 
the  field  was  evacuated,  as  nearly  destroyed. 

"The  main  body  of  the  enemy  was  hidden  during  the 
early  part  of  the  action  by  the  crest  of  the  hill  and  the  woods 
in  the  rear. 

"Their  force  was  massed  apparently  upon  our  right,  and 
their  manoeuvres  indicated  a  purpose  to  turn  us  upon  the  Ber- 
ryville  road,  where,  it  appeared  subsequently,  they  had  placed 
a  considerable  force,  with  a  view  of  preventing  reinforce 
ments  from  Harper's  Ferry.  But  the  steady  fire  of  our  lines 
held  them  in  check  until  a  small  portion  of  our  troops  on  the 
right  of  our  line  made  a  movement  to  the  rear.  It  is  but 
just  to  add  that  this  was  done  under  the  erroneous  impression 
that  an  order  to  withdraw  had  been  given.  No  sooner  was 
this  observed  by  the  enemy  than  its  regiments  swarmed  upon 
the  crest  of  the  hill,  advancing  from  the  woods  upon  our 
right,  \vhich,  still  continuing  its  fire  steadily,  withdrew  to 
ward  the  -town. 


90  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

"The  overwhelming  force  of  the  enemy  now  suddenly 
showing  itself  making  further  resistance  unwise,  orders  were 
sent  to  the  left  by  Captain  De  Hauteville  to  withdraw  the 
First  Brigade,  which  was  done  reluctantly,  but  in  order,  the 
enemy  having  greatly  suffered  on  that  wing.  A  portion  of 
the  troops  passed  through  the  town  in  some  confusion  ;  but 
the  column  was  soon,  reformed,  and  continued  its  march  in 
order. 

********* 

"Our  march  was  turned  in  the  direction  of  Martinsburg, 
hoping  there  to  meet  with  reinforcements — the  troops,  moving 
in  three  parallel  columns,  each  protected  by  an  efficient  rear 
guard.  Pursuit  by  the  enemy  was  PROMPT  AND  VIGOROUS; 

BUT  OUR  MOVEMENTS  WERE  RAPID  and  without  loss. 

"  A  few  miles  from  Winchester  the  sound  of  the  steam- 
whistle,  heard  in  the  direction  of  Martinsburg,  strengthened 
the  hope  of  reinforcements,  and  stirred  the  blood  of  the  men 
like  a  trumpet.  Soon  after  two  squadrons  of  cavalry  came 
dashing  down  the  road,  with  wild  hurrahs.  They  were 
thought  to  be  the  advance  of  the  anticipated  support,  and 
were  received  with  deafening  cheers.  Every  man  felt  like 
turning  back  upon  the  enemy.  It  proved  to  be  the  First 
Maryland  cavalry,  Col.  Witchky,  sent  out  iu  the  morning  as 
a  train  guard.  Hearing  the  guns,  they  had  returned  to  par 
ticipate  in  the  fight.  Advantage  was  taken  of  this  stirring 
incident  to  reorganize  our  column,  and  the  march  was  con 
tinued  with  renewed  spirit  and  order.  At  Martinsburg  the 
column  halted  two  and  a  half  hours — the  rear-guard  remain 
ing  until  seven  in  the  evening  in  rear  of  the  town — and 
arrived  at  the  river  at  sundown,  forty-eight  hours  after  the 
first  news  of  the  attack  on  Front  Royal.  It  was  a  march  of 
fifty-three  miles,  thirty-five  of  which  were  performed  in  one 
day.  The  scene  at  the  river  when  the  ^ear-guard  arrived 
was  of  the  most  animating  and  exciting  description.  A 
thousand  camp-fires  were  burning  on  the  hillside,  a  thousand 
carriages  of  every  description  were  crowded  upon  the  banks, 
and  the  broad  river  rolled  between  the  exhausted  troops  and 
their  coveted  rest. 

"  The  ford  was  too  deep  for  the  teams  to  cross  in  regular 
succession.  Only  the  strongest  horses,  after  a  few  unsuccess 
ful  experiments,  were  allowed  to  essay  the  passage  of  the  river 
before  morning. 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  91 

"  The  single  ferry  was  occupied  by  the  ammunition  trains, 
the  ford  by  the  wagons. 

"The  cavalry  were  secure  in  its  own  power  of  crossing. 
The  troops  only  had  no  transportation.  Fortunately,  the 
train  we  had  so  sedulously  guarded,  served  us  in  turn.  Sev 
eral  boats  belonging  to  the  pontoon  train,  which  we  had 
brought  from .  Strasburg,  were  launched,  and  devoted  exclu 
sively  to  their  service.  It  is  seldom  that  a  river  crossing  of 
such  magnitude  is  achieved  with  greater  success,  and  *  there 
never  were  more  grateful  hearts'  in  the  same  number  of  men 
than  when,  at  mid-day  of  the  26th,  we  stood  on  the  opposite 
shore. 

"  My  command  had  not  suffered  an  attack  and  rout.  It 
had  accomplished  a  i  premeditated'  march  of  nearly  sixty 
miles,  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  defeating  his  plans  and  giving 
him  battle  wherever  he  was  found. 

"  Our  wagon  train  consisted  of  nearly  five  hundred  wagons. 
Of  this  number  fifty-five  were  lost.  They  were  not,  with  but 
few  exceptions,  abandoned  to  the  enemy,  but  were  burned  upon 
the  road.  Nearly  all  of  our  supplies  were  thus  saved.  The 
stores  at  Front  Royal,  of  which  I  had  no  knowledge  until  my 
visit  to  that  post  on  the  21st  instant,  and* those  at  Winches 
ter,  of  which  a  considerable  portion  was  destroyed  by  our 
troops,  are  not  embraced  in  this  statement." 

Compare  the  statement  italicized,  with  Gen.  Jackson's  offi 
cial  one,  which  we  have  presented. 

Having  given  precedence  duly  to  Gen.  Banks'  official  re 
port,  let  us  look  at  a  few  statements  by  eye-witnesses,  and 
participants  in  the  battles,  or  those  who  were  on  the  spot 
soon  afterwards.  A  young  officer  of  the  Irish  Battalion, 
writes  to  his  uncle : 

"  A  series  of  successes  have  crowned  our  efforts.  We  first 
drove  the  enemy  from  Front  Royal,  defeating  and  capturing 
about  six  hundred  prisoners,  besides  a  very  large  quantity  of 
stores  of  all  kinds.  Immediately  after  we  got  possession  of 
the  place  a  train  loaded  with  coffee  came  in,  which  is  a  per 
fect  God-send  to  us,  as  rations  of  that  article  have  been 
stopped  for  some  days.  We  then  drove  the  remaining  por 
tion  of  the  army  toward  Middletown,  where  we  captured  a 
large  portion  of  their  wagons,  containing  a  little  of  most 


92  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

every  thing.  From  thence  we  wended  our  way  toward 
Strasburg,  where  all  of  their  wagons  fell  into  our  hands.  We 
left  our  camp,  which  was  about  two  miles  beyond  Luray,  and 
marched  twenty-seven  miles  to  reach  Front  Royal — this  was 
on  Friday — we  marched  all  day  and  night  Saturday,  and 
reached  Winchester  yesterday  (Sunday),  about  five  o'clock, 
or  about  daybreak.  The  engagement  lasted  one  hour  and  a 
half,  but  it  was  a  terrific  one,  short  as  it  was.  Their  force 
was  repulsed  and  scattered,  and,  after  once  getting  on  their 
scent,  we  did  not  let  them  rest.  In  the  three  days  we  have 
captured  about  fifteen  hundred  prisoners.  This  I  can  safely 
say,  but  I  think  it  will  exceed-  that  number,  as  they  are  still 
coming  in.  A  squad  of  fifty-three  has  just  passed  our  camp. 
This  does  not  include  the  negro  women  our  men  bring  in 
with  them.  Sometimes  we  see  a  group  of  a  dozen  or  more 
prisoners  with  three  or  four  negro  women.  By  the  way, 
while  here,  three  of  the  Yankees  married  negro  wenches. 
We  are  still  pursuing  the  enemy,  but  it  is  the  general  im 
pression  that  they  will  not  stop  this  side  of  the  Potomac. 
Gen.  'Shields  left  Winchester  on  Wednesday,  crossing  the 
mountains,  but  what  course  he  took  I  have  not  learned.  The 
rascals  fired  all  the  houses  here  filled  with  medical  and  quar 
termaster's  stores,  but  the  citizens  put  the  fire  out ;  so  we 
save  enormous  quantities  of  every  thing — stores  enough  for 
our  army  for  twelve  months.  All  of  our  men  supplied  them 
selves  with  clothes,  shoes,  blankets,  and  even  shirts,  socks, 
drawers,  gloves,  and  every  thing  a  soldier  wants  or  needs. 


"  General  Jackson  had  his  war-look  on  yesterday.  He  was 
so  fatigued  that,  after  the  fight,  he  actually  went  to  sleep  on 
his  charger.  He  rode  about  the  battle-field  regardless  of  shot 
and  shell,  and  looked  as  if  nothing  was  going  on.  I  was  not 
half  so  much  alarmed  as  I  thought  I  would  be,  it  being  rny 
first  appearance  on  a  battle-field.  I  met  with  many  narrow 
escapes,  as  did  all  of  us,  for  which  I  am  truly  thankful.  I 
never  felt  so  proud  as  when  we  marched  victorious  through 
the  town  of  Winchester  in  pursuit  of  a  fleet-footed  enemy. 
Thanks  to  the  Most  High  for  his  protection  to  our  brave  and 
gallant  army.  Just  think  of  marching  twenty-seven  miles 
and  fighting  two  hours.  The  men  all  call  themselves  Jack 
son's  foot  cavalry." 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  93 


Another  writer  says : 

"  The  enemy  made  but  a  short  stand  at  Front  Royal.  The 
1st  Maryland  Volunteers,  on  the  Yankee  side,  was  charged 
by  the  1st  Regiment  of  Maryland  rebels,  who  put  their  old 
acquaintances  to  flight  in  a  short  time,  capturing  a  stand  of 
colors,  killing  several,  and  taking  a  number  of  prisoners. 

"  We  took  the  enemy  by  surprise,  and  put  them  to  flight 
before  one-fourth  of  our  forces  had  entered  the  town.  The 
cavalry,  among  which  were  the  Wise  Troop  and  Jack  Alex 
ander's  company,  charged  upon  the  Yankees,  in  the  retreat, 
killing  many,  and  capturing  a  large  number  of  prisoners. 

"  Among  the  arms  captured  are  about  five  hundred  im 
proved  cavalry  six-shooters,  an  article  very  much  needed. 

"  When  we  entered  Front  Royal,  the  women  and  children 
met  us  with  shouts  of  the  liveliest  joy.  As  we  passed  through 
the  place  in  double-quick,  we  could  not  stop  to  partake  of 
the  hospitality  so  generously  and  profusely  tendered  on  all 
hands. 

"  Among  one  of  the  squads  of  prisoners,  about  twenty  in 
number,  was  a  woman,  mounted.  When  we  came  to  the  Val 
ley  turnpike,  we  found  hosts  of  prisoners,  and  the  road 
blockaded  with  dead  and  live  horses,  and  wagons  heavy  laden 
with  subsistence,  &c.,  together  with  dead  and  wounded  Yan 
kees. 

"  At  early  dawn  this  (Sunday)  morning,  we  advanced  and 
attacked  the  mighty  Banks  in  front  of  Winchester.  After 
fighting  about  one  hour,  distributing  shell  and  minie  balls 
profusely,  our  boys  made  a  charge,  when  the  Yankees  left  at 
double-quick,  after  setting  fire  to  the  town,  and  burning  their 
commissary  stores. 

"  The  Lee  battery  of  Lynchburg  and  two  others  were  or 
dered  to  pursue  in  a  gallop,  and  the  command  was  obeyed, 
they  shelling  the  enemy  for  five  miles. 

"  When  the  army  passed  through  the  town,  men,  women, 
and  children  were  shouting,  '  Thank  God,  we  are  free — thank 
God,  we  are  free  once  more !'  Confederate  flags  and  white 
handkerchiefs  were  waved  from  every  window,  and  the  happy 
smiles  of  lovely  women  on  all  sides  met  the  wearied  soldier, 
and  cheered  him  as  he  hurriedly  passed  through  the  place  in 
pursuit  of  the  flying  foe. 

"  After  pursuing  the  enemy  for  six  miles,  we  were  brought 


94:  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

to  a  halt,  and  left  the  finishing  stroke  to  the  cavalry,  who 
have  captured  a  large  number  of  prisoners,  who  have  been 
sent  in  through  the  day. 

"  Prisoners  tell  me  that  General  Banks  has  said  that  he 
was  afraid  that  he  would  have  to  surrender  his  whole  com 
mand,  and  to  be  relieved  of  the  painful  necessity,  and  to  save 
his  own  bacon,  left  before  day  on  an  extra  car." 

The  following  is  from  a  member  of  Congress  to  a  friend  in 
Richmond  : 

"  There  never  was  a  "more  successful  and  more  decided  and 
overwhelming  victory.  When  our  guns  opened  on  the  enemy 
at  Front  Royal,  they  had  no  idea  who  was  hammering  at  them, 
thinking  that  Jackson  was  a  hundred  miles  away  from  them. 
They  were  completely  surprised  and  panic-stricken  by  the 
suddenness  of  the  attack.  They  surrendered  to  us  by  hun 
dreds,  allowing  all  their  stores  of  every  sort,  and  in  the  great 
est  quantities,  to  be  captured,  without  an  effort  to  defend  or 
destroy  them. 

"  Banks  was  with  the  main  body  of  his  army  at  Strasburg 
when  we  took  Front  Royal,  and  alarmed  by  our  guns,  they 
abandoned  their  works  (which  are  quite  extensive  at  that 
point)  and  fell  back  towards  Winchester;  but  before  they 
had  gotten  half-way,  old  Stonewall  was  upon  them,  and  their 
retreat  became  a  rout. 

*•  From  Middletown  to  Winchester,  and  from  thence  to  Mar- 
tinsburg,  the  rush  of  the  retreating  wretches  is  represented 
to  have  been  more  ridiculously  terrible  than  that  at  Manassas. 
Our  batteries  would  open  upon  a  wagon  in  front  of  a  train, 
knocking  it  over  in  the  road,  and  before  those  behind  it  could 
stop  their  headway,  they  would  come  thundering  down  upon 
the  ruins  of  the  first  wagon,  whilst  other  teams  would  be 
tumbling  in  upon  them  so  as  to  block  up  the  road  completely, 
then  Ashby's  cavalry  would  charge  upon  the  more  forward  of 
cavalry,  or  ride  down  the  masses  of  disorganized  infantry,  and 
such  a  scene  of  confusion  and  conflict  as  they  kept  up  for 
many  miles  you  possibly  may  imagine ;  but  I  certainly  cannot 
describe. 

"  Old  Banks  behaved  in  a  most  cruel  and  cowardly  manner 
on  this  retreat.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  crowd  of  negroes 
whom  he  was  running  off  to  Yankee  land,  and  he  preferred 
to  leave  his  own  wounded  in  our  hands  than  to  allow  the  negro 
women  and  children  to  be  turned  out  of  the  wagons  and  have 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  95 

them  used  for  the  transportation  of  the  sick  and  suffering 
white  soldiers  of  his  own  army. 

"At  the  first  salvo  of  artillery  he  puts  spurs  to  his  horse 
and  distanced  all  competitors  in  the  race  from  the  field.  At 
Middletown  he  stopped  for  a  drink  of  water,  and  was  blub 
bering  like  a  baby  because  reinforcements  had  not  been  sent 
him. 

"  To  give  you  an  idea  of  the  demoralization  of  the  Yankees 
on  their  way  from  Strasburg,  I  will  only  mention  one  fact : 

"  In  the  ardor  of  pursuit,  Ashby  had  separated  himself 
from  his  men,  and  had  gotten  abreast  of  the  Yankee  column 
of  cavalry,  which  was  rushing  down  the  turnpike.  ALONE 
he  charged  Jive  hundred  of  them — dashed  through  their  line, 
firing  his  pistols  right  and  left  as  he  did  so — then  wheeling 
about,  he  again  charged  through  them  and  summoned  them  to 
surrender.  All  who  heard  his  voice  at  once  obeyed,  threw 
down  their  arms,  dismounted,  and,  at  the  word,  squatted  as 
meekly  as  so  many  mice  upon  the  ground,  until  some  of  our 
men  came  up  and  took  charge  of  them.  In  one  instance,  he 
took  thirty  in  this  way.  When  our  men  would  charge  the 
Federal  cavalry,  they  would  tumble  off  their  horses,  roll  over, 
scream  and  scramble  to  the  road-side  in  the  most  amusing 
manner.  But  I  cannot  pretend  to  jot  down  a  hundredth  part 
of  the  incidents  of  this  most  remarkable  victory. 

"  At  Winchester  the  enemy  tried  to  make  a  stand  in  the 
suburbs,  but  our  boys  drove  them  pell-mell  through  the 
streets,  and  soon  beyond  Martin sburg. 

"Many  were  killed  in  the  streets,  and  a  remarkable  feature 
of  the  day  was  that  when  the  tide  of  battle  rolled  toward 
t^e  town,  the  glorious  women  of  Winchester  turned  out  to 
give  relief  to  our  wounded  and  exhausted  soldiers,  and  so 
regardless  were  they  of  danger  that  they  were  not  deterred 
from  their  pious  duty  by  the  shot  and  shell  which  fell  around 
them.  In  the  streets  our  men  had  to  advance  a  guard  to 
clear  the  women  out  of  the  way  for  our  platoons  to  deliver 
their  fire.  This,  I  am  assured,  was  literally  the  case  in  more 
instances  than  one." 


Another  writer  says : 

"  The  wild  joy  with  which  the  inhabitants,  especially  the 
ladies,  greeted  our  army  in.  Winchester  and  Charlestown,  can 
be  more  readily  imagined  than  described.  The  2d  Virginia 


96  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

regiment,  composed  of  volunteers  from  Jefferson,  Clarke,  and 
Berkeley,  marched  through  Charlestown  with  scarcely  a  halt; 
such  was  the  pressure  of  the  military  discipline  in  which  their 
brave  commander  trains  them,  that  they  neither  asked  nor 
received  the  privilege  of  halting  to  shake  hands  with  their 
friends  and  dear  ones,  though  a  twelvemonth  and  more  had 
elapsed  since  they  took  the  field.  The  activity  of  a  perpetual 
''forward  /'  seems  to  pervade  this  whole  army." 

Lincoln's  order  to  McDowell  to  "  put  20,000  men  in  mo 
tion,"  and  go  and  destroy  Jackson,  will  be  recalled  by  the 
reader.  Here  is  the  manner  in  which  they  moved — the  para 
graph  will  not  be  found  the  least  entertaining  of  those  here 
presented.  It  is  from  a  Yankee  correspondent,  whose  candoi 
is  something  unusual. 

"Word  was  flashed  over  the  wires  from  Washington  thai, 
the  Philistines  were  upon  the  Congressional  Samsons,  and  we 
were  summoned  to  the  rescue.  The  order  from  the  War  De 
partment,  to  send  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  men  to  assis , 
Banks  and  defend  Washington,  put  an  entirely  new  face  on 
matters,  and  knocked  the  plans  which  a  month  and  more  of 
time  and  millions  of  money  had  been  spent  in  maturing  into 
that  peculiarly  chaotic,  formless,  and  void  shape  popularly 
known  and  described  as  a  cocked  hat.  As  McClellan  before 
had  been  served,  so  now  was  McDowell.  *  *  We  found 
the  104th  New  York  at  Catlett's  Station,  with  neither  tents, 
arms,  nor  clothing.  They  informed  us  that  while  innocentlv 
encamped  at  Thoroughfare  Gap,  undreaming  of  impending 
evil,  word  came  to  them  from  the  War  Department  that  the}' 
were  utterly  surrounded  by  the  enemy,  with  an  order  t<> 
destroy  every  thing  and  fall  back  upon  the  impregnable  forti 
fications  and  wooden  guns  of  Manassas.  So  completely  did 
they  follow  out  this  edict  of  destruction,  burning  tents,  arms, 
equipments,  and  every  thing  else,  that  the  only  wonder  is  they 
didn't  blow  out  their  own  brains — perhaps  they  would  if  they 
had  had  any.  • 

"  At  Markham  Station,  besides  rheumatic  pains,  I  encoun 
tered  Colonel  Ashby's  house,  a  deserted  whitewashed  tene 
ment,  with  battered  walls  and  crumbling  staircases,  and  smell- 
'ing  strongly  of  secession  and  old  cheese.  From  Markham  to 
Front  Royal  such  a  road  no  intelligent  gray  mare,  of  domestic 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  97 

habits  and  a  ruminative  and  ruminating  turn  of  mind,  ever 
encountered  before.  It  seems  as  though  all  the  men,  women, 
and  children  of  the  country  had  spent  their  lazy  hours — 
which,  indeed,  would  include  the  whole  period  of  their  several 
existences — in  rolling  huge  stones  from  the  mountains  down 
into  the  roads.  If  the  war  ever  ends — and  there  is  reason  to 
believe  that  in  the  fulness  of  time  it  will — let  me  suggest 
that  the  Virginians  of  this  section  be  punished  for  their  con 
tumacy  by  being  made  to  pick  up  the  stones,  and  with  them 
build,  in  some  less  inconveniencing  grounds,  monuments  to 
their  own  folly.  At  Front  Royal  we  found  Major-general 
McDowell  and  several  minor  generals.  They  were  all  de 
termined  upon  one  thing — that  thing  to  bag  Jackson  and 
recapture  the  immense  train  he  took  from  Banks — for  you 
must  know  that  Banks  lost  over  two  millions  of  dollars  in 
property,  and,  it  is  said  several  thousand  prisoners.  Well, 
then,  it  had  been  determined  to  retake  all  these  national  gods 
and  goods. 

*  *  UA  word  about  Blenker's  division.  With  all  re 
spect  to  General  Blenker  himself,  whom  I  highly  esteem  as  a 
German  and  a  gentleman,  it  comprises  a  lawless  set  as  ever 
pillaged  hen-roosts  or  robbed  dairy-maids  of  milk  and  butter. 
I  saw  a  company  of  them  gutting  the  cellar  of  a  house,  carry 
ing  off  every  thing  eatable  and  drinkable,  and  only  replying 
to  the  earnest  remonstrance  of  the  proprietary  widow,  and  the 
representation  that  she  had  seven  children  to  feed,  with  a  gutr 
tural  nix  fur  stay.  And  two  infantry  captains  bathed  their 
yellow  beards  in  the  golden  cream,  and  were  aiders  and  abet- 
ters,  in  fact,  the  overseers  and  directors  of  the  larceny — not  to 
say  brutality. 


"Through  the  openings -between  the  trees  we  could  see 
our  brave  boys  surrounded  by  a  cordon  of  fire,  flashing  into 
them  from  the  muzzles  of  more  than  a  thousand  muskets.  But 
not  a  sign,  nor  the  shadow  of  a  sign  of  yielding.  Their  fire 
met  the  enemy's,  straight  and  unyielding  as  the  blade  of  a 
matador.  Oh,  for  reinforcements !  but  none  came.  *  * 
Now  our  "  Bucktails"  give  back,  and  anon  they  break  cover 
and  retreat  across  the  fields  of  waving  green  between  us,  firing 
as  they  go — but  not  the  hundred  and  fifty  that  went  in.  The 
rest  of  them  lie  under  the  arching  dome  of  the  treacherous 
forest,  and  the  night  dews  alone  can  go  to  moisten  the  lips  of 


98  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

the  wounded  ones,  for  the  rebels  hold  the  woods,  and  we  arc 
not  now  prepared  to  dislodge  them.  To  send  a  force  to  their 
support  would  bring  on  a  general  engagement,  and  this,  ii 
our  present  unprepared  condition,  would  be  ruin." 

We  have  seen  how  both  Fremont  and  Shields,  advancing 
from  the  east  and  the  west  to  intercept  and  close  in  upon  the 
rear  of  Jackson,  entirely  failed  in  their  object,  and  were  com 
pletely  out-generalled.  Jackson  struck  Fremont  with  his  righl, 
wing  and  Shields  with  his  left ;  stunned  both  ;  passed  betweer 
the  two  columns,  and  composedly  continued  his  march  up  the 
Valley. 

On  the  27th  of  May,  at  the  moment  when  Banks  was  de 
feated  and  in  full  retreat — when  the  heavy  column  from  Fred- 
cricksburg  was  inarching  toward  the  mountains,  and  wher 
Lincoln  was  trembling  for  the  safety  of  Washington — Gen, 
Johnston  wrote  to  Gen.  Jackson  : 

"  The  most  important  service  you  can  render  the  country 
is  the  preventing  the  further  strengthening  of  McClellan's 
army.  *  *  You  compel  me  to  publish  orders  announcing; 
your  success  so  often,  that  you  must  expect  repetition  of  ex 
pression." 

It  will  be  seen  that  these  instructions  were  carried  out. 
We  terminate  this  chapter- with  the  official  dispatch  of  Gen, 
Jackson,  announcing  the  victory  at  Winchester : 


"WINCHESTER,  May  26th,  1862. 
"  GEN.  S.  COOPER,  Adjutant-general. 

"During  the  last  three  days  God  has  blessed  our  arms 
with  brilliant  success.  On  Friday,  the  Federals  at  Front 
Royal  were  routed,  and  one  section  of  artillery,  in  addition 
to  many  prisoners,  captured.  On  Saturday,  Banks'  main 
column,  while  retreating  from  Strasburg  to  Winchester,  was 
pierced,  the  rear  part  retreating  towards  Strasburg.  On 
Sunday,  the  other  part  was  routed  at  this  place.  At  last 
accounts,  Brigadier-general  George  II.  Stewart  was  pursuing 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  99 

with  cavalry  and  artillery,  and  capturing  the  fugitives.  A 
large  amount  of  medical,  ordnance,  and  other  stores  have 
fallen  into  our  hands. 

(Signed)  T.  J.  JACKSON, 

Major-general  Commanding" 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ILLUSTRATIONS CROSS    KEYS  I    PORT    REPUBLIC. 

MAY  had  passed;  June  arrived — and  the  enemy  had  not 
succeeded  in  accomplishing  their  long-cherished  design  for 
the  destruction  of  the  rebel  armies,  and  the  occupation  of  the 
Confederate  capital. 

McCIellan's  huge  army  still  confronted  Richmond,  swing 
ing  to  and  fro  on  either  bank  of  the  Chickahominy — uneasy, 
dubious,  undetermined  what  course  was  best  for  it  to  pursue. 
A  few  days  after  the  battle  of  Winchester,  a  portion  of  the 
Grand  Army  was  defeated  at  "  Seven  Pines,"  but  with  that 
genius  for  hoping  which  characterizes  these  people,  the  fall 
of  Richmond,  distinctly  in  sight,  with  its  roofs  and  spires,  was 
looked  forward  to  as  an  event  very  soon  to  take  place.  A 
portion  of  McDowell's  force,  it  is  true,  was  drawn  off  by  Jack 
son,  and  he  was  so  weakened  that  he  could  no  longer  hope  to 
effect  much  by  the  junction  with  McClellaVs  right  wing  on 
the  Chickahominy — forming  the  famous  k'  cordon"  above  men 
tioned  ;  but  then  the  capital  at  Washington  was  safe ;  Presi 
dent  Lincoln's  terror  dissipated ;  and  the  Government  there 
enabled  to  crowd  forward  all  their  spare  troops  to  the  Penin 
sula.  Fremont  and  Shields  would  soon  make  short  work  of 
the  daring  Jackson,  whose  lucky  star  would  speedily  be  ob 
scured — that  general  would  be  driven  before  them  far  up  the 
Valley,  along  which  he  was  then  retreating;  their  combined 
armies  would  descend  like  a  thunderbolt  upon  the  rear  of  the 


100  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL 

unfortunate  Confederate  den;  and  the  rebellion  would  be 
"  crushed"  at  a  blow. 

Such  was  the  situation  of  affairs  early  in  June — McClcllrn 
at  "  Seven  Pines,"  within  four  or  five  miles  of  Richmond ; 
McDowell  on  the  march  to  join  him;  Fremont  and  Shields 
pursuing  Jackson  hotly  up  the  Valley. 

We  have  seen  what  events  occurred  at  Cross  Keys  and  Port 
Republic,  on  the  8th  and  9th  days  of  June,  at  the  very  mo 
ment  when  McClellan,  perched  in  the  top  of  a  tall  tree,  is 
some  of  their  writers  describe  him,  was  straining  his  eyes  to 
discern  the  columns  of  McDowell  on  the  horizon,  and  listen 
ing  for  the  tramp  of  Fremont's  legions  from  the  mountains. 
Richmond  was  directly  in  his  front,  with  the  sunshine  on  its 
white  spires — "  the  finest  army  on  this  planet"  was  beneath 
him,  dull,  inactive,  resting  in  the  trenches  dug  out  from  tie 
treacherous  mud  of  the  Chickahominy  swamp.  All  things 
were  stagnant. 

The  news  from  Port  Republic  came  to  break  this  languid 
siesta  of  the  Federals — and  we  have  seen  how  that  great 
battle  was  fought. 

We  proceed,  as  before,  to  give  some  of  the  details  which  ^ve 
have  collected,  for  the  entertainment  of  the  reader  now,  and 
the  information  of  the  future  historian,  who  will  gather  sedu 
lously  every  circumstance  relating  to  the  events  of  this  great 
period.  This  book  is  written  in  a  tent,  on  the  outpost;  the 
enemy  yonder,  almost  in  view — but  with  Jackson,  alas !  no 
longer  in  the  front.  The  real  historian  of  his  life  will  write  in 
a  quiet  study,  in  the  tranquil  days  of  peace,  with  no  enemy, 
let  us  hope,  anywhere  in  vie\y,  on  all  the  vast  horizon  of  the 
Confederate  States. 

Pardon,  therefore,  friendly  reader,  the  faults  of  these  pagos, 
which  the  distant  roar  of  artillery  may  at  any  moment  inter 
rupt  the  writer  in  tracing — and  give  the  author  credit  for 
honesty,  if  not  for  style. 

Fremont  was  routed  at  Cross  Keys  on  the   8th  of  June, 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  101 

On  the  morning  of  the  9th,  Jackson  turned  like  a  lion  upon 
Shields  and  hurled  his  whole  column  upon  that  commander, 
with  the  results  which  we  have  seen.  The  following  details 
from  participants  in  the  battle  are  interesting : 

"  On  Monday  morning,  about  sunrise,  our  forces  crossed  the 
bridge  at  the  junction  of  the  two  streams  to  attack  the  enemy, 
numbering  about  12,000,  under  Gen.  Shields,  the  river  here 
makes  a  bend  or  crescent  form,  circling  round  a  large  piece 
of  low  grounds,  on  which  there  was  a  heavy  crop  of  wheat. 
Nearly  opposite  the  bridge  and  on  the  other  side  of  this  field, 
the  enemy  were  drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  and  in  their  front, 
on  a  small  hill,Nat  the  foot  of  Cole  Mountain,  commanding  the 
whole  position,  was  the  celebrated  Clark  battery,  (consisting 
of  8  splendid  guns,  2  Parrott,  2  mountain  howitzers,  and  4 
rifle  pieces,)  manned  by  the-  artillery  corps,  under  command 

of  Clark.  From  this  battery  was  belched  forth  one 

incessant  storm  of  grape,  canister,  and  shell,  literally  covering 
the  valley,  so  that  the  work  of  attack  on  our  part  seemed 
almost  hopeless. 

"Jackson,  Ewell,  and  Taylor  were  all  there,  and  their  forces 
eager  for  the  encounter.  But  it  seemed  rash  and  even  des 
perate  to  attempt  it.  General  Jackson  looked  for  a  while 
thoughtfully  on  the  scene,  and  then  turning  to  Taylor, 
inquired,  '  Can  you  take  that  battery  ? — it  must  be  taken 
or  the  day  be  lost.'  Taylor  replied,  'We  can,'  and  pointing 
his  sword  to  the  battery,  called  out  to  his  men,  '  Louisianians, 
can  you  take  that  battery  ?'  With  one  universal  shout  that 
made  the  mountains  to  echo,  they  declared  they  could ;  where 
upon,  he  gave  the  order  in  that  sonorous  voice,  'Forward,  charge 
the  battery  and  take  it.'  Onward  dashed  the  Louisiana  brigade, 
composed  of  the  6th,  7th,  8th,  and  9th  Louisiana  regiments, 
and  the  Tiger  Battalion,  assisted  by  one  Virginia  regiment, 
across  the  low  grounds  right  after  the  battery.  From  its 
mouth  now,  with  renewed  violence,  poured  streams  of  shell  and 
shot,  mowing  down  our  men  like  grass.  The  earth  seemed 
covered  with  the  dead  and  wounded. 

"  The  gallant  Colonel  Henry  Hays,  commanding  the  9th 
Louisiana  regiment,  was  badly  wounded.  His  Lieutenant- 
colonel,  De  Choine,  was  shot  through  the  lungs,  and  after 
again  and  again  endeavoring  to  hold  his  place  on  the  field; 


102  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

was  borne  off  almost  insensible.  This  regiment,  one  of  wlios? 
companies  was  led  by  Captain  D.  A.  Wilson,  of  our  towr, 
carried  into  the  fight  but  three  hundred  and  eight  effective 
men,  the  rest  being  sick  or  detailed  on  other  service,  of  whom 
one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  were  killed  or  wounded.  Onward 
they  rushed,  sustained  by  the  6th,  8th,  9th,  the  Tigers,  under" 
Bob  Wheat,  and  the  Virginia  regiment,  all  doing  their  dut/ 
like  heroes.  They  dare  the  battery.  Volumes  on  volumes  ci 
shot  continue  to  salute  their  advance — but  they  do  advance. 
They  strike  their  bayonets  and  sabres  into  the  artillerists  a^ 
they  serve  the  guns,  they  kill  the  horses,  they  seize  the  gum, 
they  take  the  battery,  and  the  victory  is  accomplished.  Proud, 
day  and  proud  honor  this  for  those  who  did  this  gallant  deed  ! 
Jackson,  Ewell,  and  Taylor  were  present  cheering  on  the  fighi. 
Every  officer,  nay,  every  man,  did  his  duty,  the  enemy  flying 
in  dismay,  having  no  time  to  spike  their  guns,  and  our  me  i 
seize  and  direct  their  fire  against  themselves.  This  was 
one  of  the  most  glorious  battles  of  this  war,  and  one  of  tha 
bloodiest. 

"  When  the  bloody  scene  was  over,  a  moment  is  spent  i  i 
thankfulness  to  God,  and  another  in  silent  rejoicing  at  the 
result.  General  Jackson  now  publicly  thanked  Taylor  and  the 
Louisiana  brigade  for  the  day's  work.  'Take  that  battery,' 
said  Jackson  to  Taylor,  'and  keep  it,  for  your  men  have  won 
it — cany  it  to  your  native  State  when  you  return,  and  call  ;t 
the  Louisiana  battery,  and  let  it  be  kept  as  a  memento  of  th:s 
day.' " 

Another  correspondent  writes  as  follows  : 

*  *  *  "So  much  for  the  eventful  day  of  the  8tL. 
"Like  the  great  Napoleon,  General  Jackson  determined  to 
fight  the  other  column  before  it  could  effect  a  junction  with 
the  defeated  army.  Hence  at  early  dawn  on  the  morning  of 
the  9th  (Monday),  our  brigade  was  in  motion.  Having 
crossed  the  river,  the  head  of  our  column  was  turned  down 
the  stream,  and  then  we  knew  there  was  bloody  work  in  store 
for  us.  About  a  mile  below  Port  Republic  we  came  in  view 
of  the  enemy's  batteries  in  position.  Then  General  Jackson, 
who  was  at  our  head,  ordered  up  two  of  our  batteries,  tho 
Alleghany  Roughs  and  Rockbridge.  But  the  Yankees  had 
every  advantage  in  position,  their  left  resting  on  the  ridges 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  103 

of  the  mountain,  and  their  right  on  the  river.  Their  bat 
teries  were  placed  so  as  to  sweep  the  ridges  on  their  left  and 
the  batteries  on  their  right,  so  the  position  of  our  guns  was 
not  as  good  as  desirable.  However,  the  hour  for  action  has 
come,  and  the  battle  of  Port  Republic  commences.  The 
Yankee  regiments  are  moving  into  line,  the  old  '  Stars  and 
Stripes '  can  be  distinctly  seen,  but  opposite  floats  proudly 
and  defiantly  the  'Sic  Semper'  of  Virginia  and  the  banner  of 
our  Confederacy.  The  2d  and  4th  Virginia  first  moved  into 
position  on  the  enemy's  left;  the  5th  and  27th  on  his  right, 
next  the  river.  Both  of  these  are  exposed  to  a  heavy  artillery 
fire.  The  Louisiana  brigade  and  part  of  the  3d  Virginia 
brigade  now  move  into  line  also,  and  the  bloody  tragedy 
commences.  The  cannonading  is  heavy,  and  the  rattle  of 
musketry  is  sharp,  especially  on  our  left.  The  enemy  fight 
well,  for  they  are  Northwestern  men.  Our  left  wing  act  at  a 
great  disadvantage,  having  to  move  up  through  dense  thickets 
in  the  woods;  also,  the  enemy  sweep  the  ridges  with  canis 
ter.  A  shout  comes  up  from  the  centre.  'Tis  the  7th  Louisi 
ana  charging  one  of  the  enemy's  batteries.  They  take  it,  but 
are  soon  driven  back  by  three  regiments  and  canister  from 
three  other  pieces.  In  the  mean  time  the  tide  of  battle  rages 
in  the  bottom  next  the  river,  for  there  the  fighting  is  desperate. 
Nothing  is  now  heard  save  the  roar  of  artillery  and  the  rattle 
of  musketry.  A  loud  and  prolonged  shout  now  bursts  on 
the  ear.  It  comes  from  the  7th  and  8th  Louisiana,  who 
have  again  charged  and  taken  the  enemy's  battery  of  six  grins. 
They  are  splendid  in  a  charge !  The  enemy  feel  the  loss 
of  their  guns,  and  their  line  wavers.  Cheer  after  cheer  bursts 
from  our  lines,  for  the  enemy  are  giving  way.  Some  of  them 
break  and  run,  but  others  retreat  in  tolerably  good  order. 
The  cavalry  now  charge  down  the  bottoms,  making  the 
very  ground  quake  and  the  Yankees  tremble.  The  Yankees 
make  excellent  time,  the  rout  is  complete,  and  the  field  is 
ours  ! 

"  Those  are  proud  moments  for  the  soldier,  when  he  stands 
victorious  on  the  bloody  field,  and  sees  the  columns  of  the 
enemy  in  full  retreat.  We  pursued  them  about  six  miles,  the 
cavalry  much  further,  capturing  a  large  number  of  prisoners, 
The  enemy's  loss  was  heavy,  and  ours  was  severe  too.  Yet 
the  insolent  foe  was  repulsed,  and  to  gain  that  end  some  of  the 
best  aud  the  bravest  blood  of  the  South  must  be  shed." 


104  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

A  trooper  writes : 

"  This  has  been  a  week  of  exhaustion  and  toil  to  us — not  a 
moment  to  write.  We  have  had,  indeed,  little  time  even  ta 
eat  or  sleep.  When  I  staggered  out  of  my  saddle  last  nigh ;, 
I  had  been  in  it  for  thirty-six  hours,  including*  the  whole  o* 
the  night  previous.  I  slept  not  a  wink,  except  while  coming 
to  camp,  and  then  I  dozed  a  little  on  my  horse.  I  only  die- 
mounted  twice  during  the  period  stated,  and  then  for  shoit 
periods. 

"  Yesterday,  we  had  a  terrific  battle  with  one  column  of  the 
enemy,  utterly  routing  him,  capturing  500  prisoners,  seve  i 
pieces  of  artillery,  four  of  them  splendid  brass  rifled  pieces;, 
and  a  considerable  number  of  small  arms. 

"Jackson's  retreat,  now  safely  accomplished,  has  been  eve  i 
more  brilliant  than  was  his  advance,  and  will  be  so  recorded 
by  historians.  With  his  army  encumbered  with  the  spoils  o' 
the  enemy  in  vast  quantities,  with  a  wagon  train  probably 
seven  or  eight  miles  long,  and  with  several  thousand  prisoner;;, 
he  has  retreated  before  an  enemy  numbering  20  to  40,000,  ad 
vancing  upon  him  by  different  roads,  and  under  the  lead  o' 
five  or  six  generals  of  distinction.  They  threatened,  at  ever/ 
road  leading  into  the  Valley,  to  get  around  him,  and  somt- 
times  came  near  doing  so,  but  General  Jackson  baffled  them  at 
every  point.  Always  calm  and  cool  himself,  he  kept  them  i  i 
perpetual  excitement.  He  would  dash  like  a  lion  first  at  onj 
and  then  at  another,  always  making  them  feel  his  fangs  in  u 
vital  place,  till  their  very  caution  defeated  their  object. 

"  Yesterday  the  enemy  (and  our  own  army  agreed  with 
them)  thought  they  had  entrapped  us.  We  were  in  a  narrow 
valley,  at  one  end  the  enemy  as  strong  as  we,  and  at  the  other 
doubly  as  strong,  with  only  a  river  between  us  and  them. 
Jackson  whipped  the  smaller  column,  and  carried  off  the 
prisoners,  &c.,  in  the  very  presence  of  the  others,  while  they 
were  trying  to  cross  the  river.  To  do  so,  he  passed  to  this 
point  through  a  trail  in  the  mountain,  the  mouth  of  which 
cannot  be  noticed  from  the  main  road,  or,  at  least,  it  would 
never  be  suspected  to  be  passable  for  an  army,  the  existence 
of  which  neither  the  enemy  nor  our  army  had  any  suspicion. 
Until  we  entered  this  road,  i  thought  we  were  gone,  for  be 
yond  the  enemy  we  whipped  there  was  another  overwhelming 
force,  and  the  road  in  the  direction  of  Port  Republic  was  en- 


LTFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  105 

tirely  commanded  by  the  other  large  force,  whom  we  could 
see  crowning  the  heights,  and  no  doubt  gnashing  their  teeth 
at  our  escape." 

The  story  of  Jackson  ordering  the  removal  of  one  of  the 
enemy's  guns  from  the  bridge,  and  when  his  order  was  obeyed 
by  the  Federal  cannoneers,  composedly  riding  by,  has  been 
often  repeated,  and  under  many  forms.  A  correspondent  of 
a  Northern  paper  gives  what  seems  to  be  a  truthful  version  of 
the  affair,  and  we  append  his  statement : 

"  Yesterday  I  met  Captain  Robinson,  of  Robinson's  battery, 
on  his  way  home  to  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  to  recruit.  He  was 
at  the  battle  of  Port  Republic,  where  his  brother  lost  three 
guns,  and  was  wounded  and  made  prisoner.  Capt.  Robinson, 
who  appears  to  be  a  very  modest  and  veracious  man,  relates 
that  while  he  was  working  one  of  his  guns,  Stonewall  Jack 
son,  whose  form  was  familiar  to  him,  came  within  easy  hailing 
distance,  and,  standing  erect  in  his  stirrups,  beckoned  with 
his  hand,  and  actually  ordered  him  to  'bring  that  gun  over 
here.' 

"Captain  Robinson  replied  by  eagerly  firing  three  shots  at 
the  ubiquitous  Presbyterian,  but  without  even  the  effect  of 
scaring  him.  'I  might  have  known,' said  he, 'that  I  could 
not  hit  him.' 

"  Captain  Robinson  is  utterly  at  a  loss  to  explain  this  extra 
ordinary  personal  demonstration  of  the  redoubtable  'Stone 
wall.'  Whether  he  mistook  him  for  one  of  his  own  men,  or 
that  some  incomprehensible  ruse  was  involved  in  the  act,  he 
does  not  pretend  to  guess.  But  one  thing  he  does  know7,  that 
Stonewall  Jackson  *  the  great  man  of  the  war,  and  that  our 
troops  in  the  Valley  believe  him  to  be  as  humane  as  he  is 
rapid  and  daring." 

A  Southern  writer,  commenting  upon  the  above,  says : 

"This  story  has  some  truth  in  it.  The  fact,  as  we  believe, 
is  that  Jackson,  finding  that  this  gun  commanded  the  bridge 
which  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  pass,  for  once  in  his  life 
played  the  Yankee,  and,  riding  briskly  forward,  ordered  the 
gun  to  be  moved  to  another  place,  which  he  designated.  The 
ruse  succeeded.  The  Yankee  captain  limbered  up  and  com 
menced  moving  his  piece,  when  Old  Stonewall,  putting  spurs 


106  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON-. 

to  his  horse,  dashed  across  the  bridge.  The  Yankee  discov 
ered  the  ruse,  and  let  fly  with  his  gun,  but  it  was  too  late.  It 
was  not  in  the  book  of  fate  that  the  glorious  chieftain  should 
fall  in  that  way.  We  devoutly  pray  that  it  may  never  be  his 
lot  to  be  lost  to  us  by  the  hand  ,of  the  enemy." 

Sad,  prophetic  words!  "We  devoutly  pray  that  it  may 
never  be  his  lot  to  be  lost  to  us  by  the  hand  of  the  enemy" 
No  enemy's  hand  struck  down  the  peerless  soldier  at  last.  A 
chance  volley  from  the  Confederate  lines  laid  low  the  pride 
and  glory  of  the  South. 

Among  the  saddest  events  of  those  June  days  in  the  Valley 
was  the  death  of  Turner  Ashby.  We  find  many  allusions  to 
this  heroic  soul  in  the  letters  of  the  time  ;  and  the  figure  of 
the  cavalry  leader  on  his  milk-white  battle-horse  will  long  re 
main  present  to  the  memory  of  those  who  saw  him.  That  his 
toric  steed  had  already  received  his  death  wound,  in  relation 
to  which  we  find  the  following  paragraph  : 

"  We  learn  that  the  gallant  Ashby,  a  few  days  ago,  whilst 
falling  back  before  the  enemy,  who  pursued  along  the  Valley 
turnpike,  alighted  to  aid  a  few  men  in  destroying  the  bridge 
across  the  Shenandoah.  The  last  caisson  of  his  artillery  had 
thundered  by,  and  the  Yankee  cavalry  pursued  so  closely  that 
a  number  had  crossed  the  bridge  before  it  could  be  destroyed. 
Springing  upon  his  noble  gray  charger,  Ashby  sped  along  the 
turnpike,  followed  by  eight  of  the  enemy.  His  pistols  were 
unfortunately  empty,  and  he  had  no  resource  but  flight.  The 
chase  continued  for  nearly  two  miles,  the  Yankees  firing  at 
him  as  they  ran.  As  he  neared  a  place  of  safety,  two  of  the 
Yankees,  who  had  outstripped  the  rest,  were  nearly  abreast  of 
him,  when  one  of  them  was  shot  by  some  of  his  men,  and  the 
other  was  killed  by  Ashby  with  his  sabre. 

"  During  the  latter  part  of  the  chase  a  shot  fired  by  a  long- 
range  gun,  at  a  distance  of  nearly  half  a  mile,  struck  his 
horse  in  the  side.  The  faithful  animal  continued  with  una 
bated  speed,  and  saved  his  rider,  but  the  wound  was  mortal, 
lie  was  led  along  the  line  of  a  regiment  under  arms.  Our 
informant  says  lie  never  imagined  so  magnificent  and  spirited 
an  animal.  He.  was  white  as  snow,  except  where  his  side  and 


LIFE    OF   STOXKWALL    JACKSON.  107 

legs  were  stained  with  his  own  blood.  His  mane  and  tail 
were  long  and  flowing  ;  his  eye  and  action  evinced  distinctly  the 
rage  with  which  he  regarded  the  injury  jie  had  received.  He 
trod  the  earth  with  the  grandeur  of  a  wounded  lion,,  and  even* 
soldier  looked  upon  him  with  sympathy  and  admiration.  He 
had  saved  his  master  at  the  cost  of  his  own  life.  He  almost 
seemed  conscious  of  his  achievement,  and  only  to  regret  death 
because  his  own  injuries  were  not  avenged." 

The  noble  rider  was  soon  to  terminate  his  earthly  career, 
also.  This  is  not  the  occasion  to  speak  of  this  brave  soul — 
this  noble  type  of  chivalric  Southern  manhood.  The  fame  of 
Ash  by  lives  fresh  and  green  in  every  heart,  and  the  words  of 
Jackson's  report  will  be  his  epitaph  forever. 

As  before,  we  append  Jackson's  dispatch  announcing  the 
victory.  It  is  in  the  following  words  : 

NEAR  PORT  REPUBLIC,  JUXE  OTH, 
Via  Staunton,  Jane  10 th. 

Through  God's  blessing,  the  enemy  near  Port  Republic 
was  this  day  routed,  with  the  loss  of  six  pieces  of  his 
artillery.  T.  J.  JACKSON, 

Major-general  Co m ma n ding. 

The  fall  of  Ashby  had  been  more  than  avenged. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

JACKSON    IN    JUNE,    1862. 

AT  sunset,  on  the  9th  of  June,  the  campaign  of  the  Valley 
had  terminated. 

It  had  commenced  in  earnest  on  the  llth  of  March,  when 
Winchester  was  evacuated  before  the  column  of  nearly  50,000 
Federals  advancing  upon  the  place.  It  terminated  on  the  red 
day  of  Port  Republic,  when  Jackson  routed  all  his  foes,  and 
remained  undisputed  master  of  the  region. 


108  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Thus  this  great  campaign  extended  over  a  period  of  exactly 
three  months. 

Those  three  months  will  shine  forever  in  our  annals,  bright 
with  the  light  of  heroism  and  victory.  The  astonishing  nerve, 
the  almost  superhuman  endurance,  the  dash,  the  skill,  the 
chivalric  courage,  and  the  stubborn  resolution  of  the  little 
handful  of  Confederates  and  their  great  leader,  will  render 
them  and  the  beautiful  region  of  the  Shenandoah  famous 
through  all  time. 

Nothing  was  expected  of  Jackson.  It  is  as  well  to  state 
that  fact  here.  We  mean  that  none  but  those  who  had  seen 
and  known  him  well  in  Mexico  believed  that  he  would  accom 
plish  any  thing.  The  Rouiney  expedition  was  regarded  as  a 
hair-brained  project ;  and  many  persons  did  not  hesitate  to 
express  their  convictions  of  a  want  of  sanity  on  the  part  of 
the  man  who  devised  it.  But  these  cavillers  were  soon  si 
lenced.  Kernstown  closed  some  mouths;  Winchester  and 
Port  Republic  quite  hushed  the  foolish  babbling  about  the 
great  leader. 

The  critics  began  to  understand  that  war  reveals  men  : 
falsifying  all  estimates  previously  made  of  them  in  the  quiet 
days  of  peace.  Jackson  was  regarded  as  a  common-place, 
somewhat  eccentric  "  professor,"  who,  by  some  singular 
chance,  at  an  early  period  in  his  life,  had  blundered  into  the 
arena  of  arms.  A  command  was  intrusted  to  him  by  those 
who  knew  him  better,  and  the  result  is  before  the  world. 
He  has  surrounded  the  name  of  his  native  land,  Virginia, 
with  a  halo  of  glory  brighter  than  all  past  revolutionary  glo 
ries  ; — and  to-day  is  only  second  to  the  greatest  name  of  all. 

The  campaign  of  the  Valley,  upon  which,  as  we  have  said, 
his  fame  will  chiefly  rest,  will  be  studied  by  military  men, 
through  all  coming  time,  as  the  campaigns  of  Cassar  and 
Napoleon  are  studied — as  the  recorded  work  of  a  master  in 
the  art  of  war.  For  this  class,  Jackson  will  always  remain 
one  of  the  Kings  of  Battle.  Combat  was  the  element  in 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  109 

which  his  great  soul  breathed  freely,  and  he  made  war  with 
the  air  of  one  "  to  the  manner  born."  His  astounding  marches ; 
his  rapid  advances  and  masterly  retreats ;  his  furious  on 
slaughts  before  which  no  enemy  could  stand,  and  his  sudden 
disappearance  when  the  enraged  foe  brought  against  him  over 
whelming  odds ;  the  manner  in  which  he  executed  all  these 
movements ;  the  provoking,  baffling,  incredible  strategy  which 
he  brought  to  bear  upon  the  enemy — have  made  his  name 
and  fame  as  a  leader  of  men  immortal  in  the  annals  of  the 
South.  The  children  and  children's  children  of  the  present 
generation  will  point  out,  on  the  map  of  Virginia,  the  positions 
of  Kernstown,  and  Winchester,  and  McDowell,  and  Port  Re 
public — classic  names  forever  now,  since  Jackson  associated 
them  with  his  glory. 

We  leave  to  the  historian  of  the  future  the  task  of  narrating 
this  great  campaign  in  all  its  splendid  details — to  tell  in  terms 
which  "  mount  to  the  height  of  the  great  argument"  how 
Jackson  marched,  and  planned,  and  fought ;  how  he  conquered 
at  Bath,  Romney,  Kernstown,  Front  Royal,  Middletown,  Win 
chester,  Charlestown,  Strasburg,  McDowell,  and  elsewhere ; 
how  he  fell  upon  the  enemy  finally  at  Port  Republic,  whipped 
him  in  two  battles,  and  drove  Shields  and  Fremont,  as  he  had 
driven  Milroy  and  Banks,  to  ignominious  flight.  Here  we 
only  touch  upon  the  great  contests,  as  upon  the  man  who  fought 
them.  In  the  campaign  of  March-June,  1862,  Jackson  dis 
played  all  his  faculties  fully — his  far-seeing  generalship ;  his 
prudent  boldness ;  his  indomitable,  vice-like  resolution  and 
tenacity  of  purpose,  which  no  storm  could  shake,  no  peril  af 
fect.  Under  the  calm  and  simple  exterior  of  the  man  was  a 
soul  that  was  not  born  to  bend — a  will  which  shrunk  from 
nothing,  and  broke  down  every  obstacle  opposed  to  it.  To 
say  that  no  braver  man  ever  lived,  is  to  say  little.  Nothing 
is  better  established  than  the  fact  that  Jackson  loved  danger 
for  its  own  sake — a  point  which  we  propose  to  return  to — but 
this  common  courage  which  does  not  recoil  from  the  hissing 


110  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

ball  or  the  bursting  shell,  was  not  the  courage  of  Jackson. 
His  stern  resolution  was  deeper  and  stronger.  What  markec 
him  as  oue  of  the  "  men  of  fate"  was  his  astonishing  equa 
nimity  in  the  face  of  perils  which  would  have  overwhelmed 
other  men;  his  cool  determination  not  to  " give  up  ;"  his  re 
fusing  to  entertain  the  idea  that  he  could  be  defeated.  A : 
Manassas  he  surveyed  with  utter  calmness  the  terrible  spec 
tacle  of  the  Confederate  lines,  reeling  back  before  the  Federal 
hosts,  pressing  down  with  their  enormous  reserves  of  infantry 
and  artillery ;  and  when  Gen.  Bee,  with  uncontrollable  an 
guish  in  his  voice,  told  Jackson  that  the  day  was  going  against 
them,  his  cold  reply  was — "  Sir,  we  will  give  them  the  bayo 
net."  The  last  words  of  the  brave  South  Carolinian  tell  hov 
he  fought  his  old  brigade.  He  stood  "  like  a  stone  wall" — 
as  stern,  stubborn,  and  immovable.  At  Kernstown,  when  i 
portion  of  his  line  gave  back  before  the  overwhelming  numbeis 
assailing  it,  he  took  his  stand  close  to  the  enemy,  amid  a  stern 
of  bullets — called  to  a  drummer  boy — and  placing  his  han  1 
firmly  upon  the  boy's  shoulder,  said  in  his  brief,  curt  tones — 
"Beat  the  rally  !  "  The  rally  was  beaten  ;  Jackson  remained 
by  the  drummer's  side,  holding  him  to  his  work  with  the  ii  - 
exorable  hand  upon  the  shoulder — the  rally  continued  to  rol , 
and  the  line  was  speedily  re-formed. 

The  writer  of  these  lines  has  seen  Gen.  Jackson  in  several 
great  battles,  when  the  "revel  of  death"  was  at  its  height;, 
and  the  fate  of  the  day  hung  suspended  in  the  balance — but 
he  never  saw  the  great  soldier  show  the  least  agitation  or 
doubt  of  the  result.  At  Fredericksburg,  his  cheeks  glowed 
and  his  eyes  had  the  "  war-look" — but  that  was  late  in  the 
evening,  when  he  had  ordered  his  whole  line  to  advance  and 
attack  with  the  bayonet. 

This,  however,  is  not  the  appropriate  place  for  a  character 
ization  of  Jackson.  We  reserve  that  for  the  concluding  pages 
of  our  work.  At  present,  other  great  events  demand  atten 
tion,  for  the  victor  of  Winchester  and  Port  Republic,  without 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  Ill 

pausing,  enters  upon  another  struggle  on  a  new  arena.  The 
Valley  is  exhausted — every  portion  of  its  highways  and  by 
ways  has  been  trodden  by  the  "Foot  Cavalry"  until  they 
know,  and  attach  sad  or  pleasant  recollections — memories  of 
fatigue  and  suffering,  or  rest  and  refreshment — to  every  stone, 
and  bank,  and  spreading  tree  upon  the  road-side;  the  mountains 
are  left  behind,  and  the  old  Stonewall  Brigade,  with  their  com 
rades,  led  by  their  idolized  chief,  set  out  for  fresh  fields  of  com 
bat  in  the  lowlands. 

Biographies  are  lame  and  incomplete  affairs  when  they  only 
contain  events  and  dates.  These  are  the  skeleton  ;  but  the 
skeleton  expresses  no  individuality.  What  is  needed,  in  ad 
dition,  is  the  flesh  and  blood — the  flashing  eye  and  the  elo 
quent  lip.  Events  and  dates  are  valuable  for  reference,  but 
personal  details  make  the  picture  which  impresses  the  feel 
ings  and  dwells  in  the  memory,  for  meditation,  example,  and 
instruction. 

We  have  seen  what  Jackson  accomplished.  Let  us  now 
endeavor  to  see  what  manner  of  man,  outwardly,  it  was  who 
thus  overthrew  all  his  enemies,  and  built  himself  a  name 
which  is  the  echo  of  glory  and  victory.  How  such  men  look 
is  interesting — how  they  dress  and  appear  among  their  fellow- 
men.  Jackson's  costume  and  deportment  were  unique,  and 
have  doubtless  contributed  in  some  degree  to  that  amazing 
individuality  .which  he  has  secured  in  the  popular  mind. 
The  writer  of  these  lines  first  saw  him  soon  after  the  battle 
of  Port  Republic,  and  can  thus  present  an  outline  of  the 
great  athlete,  as  he  appeared,  all  covered  with  the  dust  of 
the  arena,  whereon  Banks  and  his  compeers  had  been  over 
thrown  by  him.  Jackson  was  in  his  fighting  costume  at  the 
moment ;  it  was  the  conqueror  of  the  Valley  who  moved  be 
fore  us ;  and,  to  complete  the  picture,  he  had,  at  the  moment 
when  we  first  encountered  him,  his  "  war-look  on" — was  in 
his  veritable  element. 

The  outward  appearance  of  the  famous  leader  was  not  im 


112  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

posing.  The  popular  idea  of  a  great  general  is  an  individual 
of  stiff  and  stately  bearing,  clad  in  splendid  costume,  all 
covered  with  gold  lace  and  decorations,  who  prances  by  upon 
a  mettled  charger,  and  moves  on,  before  admiring  crowds,  ac 
companied  by  his  glittering  staff,  and  grand  in  all  the  magnifi 
cence  of  high  command.  The  figure  of  General  Stonewall 
Jackson  was  singularly  different  from  this  popular  fancy.  He 
wore  an  old  sun-embrowned  coat  of  gray  cloth,  originally  a 
very  plain  one,  and  now  almost  out  at  elbows.  To  call  it 
sun-embrowned,  however,  is  scarcely  to  convey  an  adequate 
idea  of  the  extent  of  its  discoloration.  It  had  that  dingy 
hue,  the  result  of  exposure  to  rain  and  snow  and  scorching 
sunshine,  which  is  so  unmistakable.  It  was  plain  that  the 
general  had  often  stretched  his  weary  form  upon  the  bare 
ground,  and  slept  in  the  old  coat ;  and  it  seemed  to  have 
brought  away  with  it  no  little  of  the  dust  of  the  Valley.  A 
holiday  soldier  would  have  disdained  to  wear  such  a  garb  ; 
but  the  men  of  the  Old  Stonewall  Brigade,  with  their  brave 
comrades  of  the  corps,  loved  that  coat,  and  admired  it  and  its 
owner  more  than  all  the  holiday  uniforms  and  holiday  warriors 
in  the  world.  The  remainder  of  the  general's  costume  was 
as  much  discolored  as  the  coat — he  wore  cavalry  boots  reach 
ing  to  the  knee,  and  his  head  was  surmounted  by  an  old  cap, 
more  faded  than  all :  the  sun  had  turned  it  quite  yellow  in 
deed,  and  it  tilted  forward  so  far  over  the  wearer's  forehead, 
that  he  was  compelled  to  raise  his  chin  in  the  air,  in  order  to 
look  under  the  rim.  His  horse  was  not  a  "  fiery  steed"  paw 
ing,  and  ready  to  dart  forward  at  "  the  thunder  of  the  cap 
tains  and  the  shouting,"  but  an  old  raw-boned  sorrel,  gaunt 
and  grim — a  horse  of  astonishing  equanimity,  who  seemed  to 
give  himself  no  concern  on  any  subject,  and  calmly  moved 
about,  like  his  master,  careless  of  cannon-ball  or  bullet,  in  the 
hottest  moments  of  battle. 

The  general  rode  in   a  peculiar  fashion,  leaning  forward 
somewhat,  and  apparently  unconscious  that  he  was  in  the  sad- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  113 

die.  His  air  was  singularly  abstracted ;  and,  unless  aware  of  his 
identity,  no  beholder  would  have  dreamed  that  this  plainly 
clad  and  absent-looking  soldier  was  the  idolized  leader  of  a 
great  army  corps,  at  that  very  instant  hurling  themselves, 
column  after  column,  upon  the  foe. 

The  glittering  eye  beneath  the  yellow  cap  would  have  al 
tered  somewhat  the  impression  that  this  man  was  "  a  nobody  " 
— that  wonderful  eye,  in  whose  blaze  was  the  evidence  of  a 
slumbering  volcano  beneath  ;  but  beyond  this,  there  was  ab 
solutely  nothing  in  the  appearance  of  General  Jackson  to  in 
dicate  his  great  rank  or  genius  as  a  soldier. 

Such  was  the  outward  man  of  the  famous  general,  as  he 
appeared  soon  after  the  campaign  of  the  Valley — and  this 
plainness  of  exterior  had  in  no  small  degree  endeared  him  to 
his  soldiers.  His  habits  were  still  greater  claims  on  the  re 
spect  and  regard  of  the  best  men  of  his  command.  He  was 
known  to  be  wholly  free  from  all  those  vices  which  are  the 
peculiar  temptation  of  a  military  life.  He  lived  as  plainly  as 
his  men,  and  shared  all  their  hardships,  never  for  a  moment 
acting  upon  the  hypothesis  that  his  rank  entitled  him  to  any 
luxury  or  comfort  which  they  could  not  share.  His  food  was 
plain  and  simple ;  his  tent,  when  he  had  one,  which  was 
seldom,  no  better  than  those  of  the  men  ;  he  would  wrap  him 
self  in  his  blankets  and  lie  down  under  a  tree  or  in  a  fence 
corner,  with  perfect  content,  and  apparently  from  preference ; 
for  to  fight  hard  and  live  hard  seemed  to  be  the  theory  of 
war.  He  was  a  devout  Christian,  and  rarely  allowed  passion 
to  conquer  him ;  when  he  yielded,  it  was  ou  exciting  occa 
sions,  and  when  great  designs  were  thwarted  by  negligence  or 
incapacity  on  the  part  of  those  to  whom  their  execution  was 
intrusted.  Such  occasions  seldom  occurred,  and  Jackson's 
habitual  temper  of  mind  was  a  gentle  and  childlike  sweetness ; 
a  simplicity  and  purity  of  heart,  which  proved  that  he  had 
indeed  become  "  as  a  little  child  " — walking  humblv  and  de- 

S  * 

voutly  before  his  God.     Prayer  was  like  breathing  with  him — • 


114:  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

the  normal  condition  of  his  being.  Every  morning  he  read  his. 
Bible  and  prayed,  and  the  writer  will  not  soon  forget  the  pic 
ture  drawn  by  one  of  his  distinguished  associates,  who  rode 
to  his  headquarters  at  daylight,  last  November,  when  the 
army  was  falling  back  to  Fredericksburg  from  the  Valley,  am 
found  him  reading  his  Testament,  quietly  in  his  tent,  an  oc 
cupation  which  he  only  interrupted  to  describe,  in  tones  o ' 
quiet  simplicity,  his  intended  movements  to  foil  the  enemy. 
Before  sitting  down  to  table  he  raised  both  hands,  and  said 
grace.  When  he  contemplated  any  movement,  his  old  ser 
vant  is  said  to  have  always  known  it  by  his  "  wrestling  in 
prayer"  for  many  hours  of  the  night ;  and  on  the  battle-field 
thousands  noticed  the  singular  gestures  with  the  right  arm, 
sometimes  both  arms,  raised  aloft.  Those  who  looked  closely 
at  him  at  such  moments  saw  his  lips  moving  in  prayer.  Like 
Joshua,  he  prayed  with  uplifted  hand  for  victory ! 

Napoleon  trusted  in  his  stars;  Jackson  in  God.  In  the 
great  scenes  through  which  we  shall  now  see  him  pass,  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  will  be  clearly  revealed,  according 
to  the  true  soldier  of  the  Cross,  full  triumph  over  all  the 
enemies  of  his  country. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

COLD    HARBOR. 

IN  the  latter  part  of  June,  the  writer  of  these  lines  was 
intrusted,  for  delivery  to  a  confidential  messenger,  with  a  dis 
patch  addressed  "  Gen.  T.  J.  Jackson,  somewhere." 

"Somewhere"  was,  at  that  moment,  as  upon  many  pre 
vious  occasions,  the  only  known  address  of  the  rapidly-moving 
and  reticent  commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Valley. 

Jackson    was    on    his    march    to   join    Gen.    Lee.     Having 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  115 

publicly  directed  his  engineer  to  furnish  him,  speedily,  with 
maps  of  the  country  about  Lexington,  and  thus,  after  a 
fashion  common  with  him,  thrown  all  speculators,  as  to  his 
intended  movements,  off  the  scent,  he  had,  on  the  17th  o'f 
June,  commenced  his  march  toward  tide-water.  General 
Robertson's  cavalry  brigade,  with  Chew's  battery,  was  left  at 
Harrisonburg,  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  enemy  in  that 
direction,  and  check  him,  if  he  again  advanced  upon  Staun- 
ton ;  and  with  the  rest  of  his  corps,  Col.  Munford's  cavalry 
bringing  up  the  rear,  Jackson  pushed  forward^reachiog  the 
neighborhood  of  Ashland,  about  sixteen  miles  from  Richmond, 
on  the  25th  of  June. 

Jackson's  corps  at  this  time  consisted  of  General  Whiting's 
Division,  embracing  General  Hood's  3d  Brigade,  Colonel  Law 
commanding,  with  the  batteries  of  Reilly  and  Balthis;  Gen. 
Ewell's  Division,  4th  Brigade,  General  Elzey ;  7th  Brigade, 
General  Trimble;  8th  Brigade,  Colonel  Seymour;  and  the 
Maryland  Line,  Colonel  Johnson,  with  the  batteries  of  Brock- 
enbrough,  Carrington,  and  Courtney  ;  Jackson's  (old)  Division, 
1st  Brigade  ("Stonewall"),  General  Winder;  2d  Brigade, 
Lieutenant-colonel  Cunningham ;  3d  Brigade,  Colonel  Ful- 
kerson ;  4th  Brigade,  General  Lawton ;  and  the  batteries  of 
Poague,  Carpenter,  and  Wooding.  These  veterans,  who  had 
met  and  overthrown  the  enemy  on  so  many  battle-fields  of 
the  Valley,  were  now  on  their  rapid  march  to  join  Lee  on  the 
banks  of  the  Chickahominy,  and  try  their  mettle  upon  Gen. 
McClellan. 

The  position  of  the  opposing  armies  of  Lee  and  McClellan, 
at  the  moment  when  Jackson  was  sent  for,  is  familiar  to  every 
boy  in  the  Confederate  States ;  for  so  intense  was  the  interest 
felt  in  the  movements  of  these  two  great  gladiators,  about  to 
contend,  front  to  front,  for  the  possession  of  the  Southern 
capital,  that  even  the  children  of  the  land  knew  the  position 
of  affairs.  McClellan  had  crossed  a  portion  of  his  army  to 
the  right  bank  of  the  Chickahominv,  and  advanced  within 


116  LIFE  OF  STONP:WALL  JACKSON. 

four  or  five  miles  of  Richmond,  elaborately  fortifying  and 
guarding  his  flanks.  On  the  left  or  north  bank  of  the  stream, 
the  remainder  of  his  army  was  strongly  posted  on  the  heights 
from  Meadow  Bridge,  nearly  due  north  of  the  city,  to  Bot 
tom's  Bridge,  nearly  due  east.  The  Federal  position  thus  re 
sembled  a  crescent,  some  twenty  miles  in  extent,  which  the 
Chickahominy  intersected  near  the  lower  extremity. 

General  Johnston  had  struck  at  the  Federal  left,  near 
Seven  Pines,  and  driven  him  back  on  the  last  day  of  May. 
Wounded  in»the  action,  this  accomplished  soldier  had  yielded 
the  command  to  General  Lee ;  and  the  design  of  again  assail 
ing  the  enemy  without  delay,  was  speedily  adopted  by  that 
general.  A  flank  movement  against  McClellan's  right, 
beyond  the  Chickahominy,  was  determined  upon ;  and  as  Jack 
son,  with  his  invincible  corps,  had  just  disembarrassed  himself 
of  Shields  and  Fremont,  he  was  ordered  by  the  commander- 
in-chief  to  hasten  forward  from  the  Valley,  and  passing  by 
way  of  Ashland  toward  Cold  Harbor,  attack  the  enemy  in 
flank  and  reverse,  while  the  main  body  of  the  army  assailed 
him  in  front. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th,  the  great  plans  of  Lee  began 
to  unfold  themselves,  and  the  immense  drama  commenced. 
The  enemy  were  driven  off  at  the  point  where  the  Brooke 
turnpike  crosses  the  Chickahominy,  and  Brigadier-general 
Branch  crossed,  directing  his  march  to  form  a  junction  with 
General  A.  P.  Hill,  who  had  crossed  at  Meadow  Bridge. 
Hill  engaged  the  enemy  at  Mechanicsville,  and  stubbornly 
held  his  ground  until  night,  when  the  enemy  retired  from  his 
position  there,  and  fell  back  upon  the  main  body  at  Games' 
Mill.  The  way  having  thus  been  cleared,  General  Longstreet's 
corps,  consisting  of  his  veteran  division,  the  Old  Guard  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  General  D.  II.  Hill's  division, 
debouched  from  the  woods  on  the  south  side  of  the  stream, 
crossed,  and  took  position  on  the  left  bank. 

Meanwhile  Jackson  had  steadily  advanced,  preceded  and 


LIFE    OF    STOKE  WALL   JACKSON.  117 

guarded  on  his  left  by  Stuart's  cavalry,  toward  Cold  Har 
bor,  on  the  enemy's  right  and  rear.  General  Whiting's 
division  held  the  advance,  and  the  Federal  forces  retired  be 
fore  him.  At  Tottapotomoi  creek,  a  sluggish  stream,  with 
abrupt  banks,  heavily  wooded,  the  enemy's  picket  felled  trees 
across  the  road,  and  destroyed  the  bridges.  Hood  threw  for 
ward  some  of  his  Texas  skirmishers,  however,  Capt.  Reilly 
opened  with  his  guns,  and  the  enemy  disappeared.  Whiting 
quickly  repaired  the  bridges,  the  army  resumed  its  march, 
and  still  skirmishing  and  driving  the  Federals,  bivouacked 
for  the  night  at  Hundley's  Corner.  Jackson,  following  the 
orders  of  General  Lee,  had  thus  borne  away  from  the  Chicka- 
hominy,  where  the  reverberating  roar  of  artillery  indicated 
the  progress  of  a  great  battle — had  gained  ground  toward  the 
Pamunkey,  driving  all  before  him — and  was  now  in  a  position 
to  descend,  next  day,  like  a  thunderbolt  on  the  enemy  at 
Cold  Harbor,  attacking  with  his  fresh  troops,  and  deciding 
the  fate  of  the  day. 

The  great  day  arrived,  clear  and  cloudless.  Jackson 
gradually  converging  toward  the  Chickahominy  again,  and 
advancing  steadily,  with  Ewell  in  front,  drove  the  enemy  be 
fore  him,  surmounted  every  obstacle  which  they  had  placed 
upon  the  roads  to  bar  his  progress,  and  about  five  in  the  after 
noon  reached  Cold  Harbor. 

Not  a  moment  was  lost  in  making  his  dispositions  for  bat-  ) 
tie.  Stuart,  with  his  cavalry,  was  posted  on  the  left  to  charge 
and  intercept  the  enemy  if  they  attempted  to  retreat  in  the 
direction  of  the  Pamunkey ;  and  hardly  had  line-of-battle 
been  formed,  when  heavy  firing  on  the  right  indicated  that 
Gen.  A.  P.  Hill,  who  had  gone  in  that  direction,  was  hard 
pressed.  Jackson  immediately  ordered  a  general  advance  of 
his  entire  corps,  which  hastened  forward,  Whiting's  division 
on  the  right  of  the  line,  and  Jackson's,  Swell's,  and  D.  H. 
Hill's,  in  the  order  named,  from  right  to  left. 

The   welcome  sound   of  Jackson's  guns  came  to  Lee  and       I 


118  LIFE   OF    STONKWALL    JACKSON. 

Long-street  as  they  were  hastening  forward  from  Gaines' 
Mill,  and  the  entire  Confederate  force  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Chickahominy,  which  had  only  awaited  the  arrival  of  Jack- 
son,  advanced  in  one  wild  charge,  and  the  battle  began  to 
rage  with  a  fury,  until  then  unknown. 

We  do  not  attempt  a  general  account  of  this  mighty  con 
test — that  is  left  to  the  historian  of  the  war.  We  confine 
our  notices  of  events  to  the  part  taken  in  the  battle  by  Gen. 
Jackson's  corps. 

The  position  of  the  enemy  in  his  front  was  a  powerful  one, 
and  nothing  but  hard,  stubborn  fighting  could  carry  it,  The 
Federals  were  posted  on  a  ridge  nearly  parallel  to  the  Chicka 
hominy — their  right  resting  near  McGee's  house,  their  left 
on  a  bluff,  bristling  with  artillery,  and  protected  by  a  deep 
ravine,  and  double  line  of  breastworks.  In  their  front  -a 
swamp  and  sluggish  stream,  a  wood  of  tangled  undergrowth, 
and  heavy  masses  of  felled  timber,  made  successful  attack 
almost  hopeless.  Jackson  ordered  Gen.  D.  H.  Hill  to  make 
the  assault  on  the  left,  and  it  was  done  with  great  gallantry 
and  success.  The  men  rushed  through  the  swamp,  tangled 
underwood,  and  felled  trees,  in  face  of  a  heavy  fire ;  and  after 
a  fierce  and  bloody  contest,  drove  the  enemy  back  on  their 
reserve.  They  took  position  behind  a  fence  and  ditch ;  and 
Hill  determined  to  press  on,  when  his  attention  was  called  to 
a  battery  which  was  so  posted  as  to  pour  a  destructive  enfi 
lading  fire  upon  his  advancing  line.  It  was  necessary  first  to 
silence  this  battery  ;  and  Col.  Iverson,  with  the  1st,  3d,  and 
20th  North  Carolina,  charged  and  captured  it.  The  enemy 
immediately  attacked  him  in  force,  and  succeeded  in  recap 
turing  the  guns,  but  not  until  Gen.  Hill  had  advanced  over 
the  dangerous  ground,  and,  supported  by  the  "  Old  Stonewall 
Brigade,"  under  Gen.  Winder,  was  engaged  in  an  obstinate 
contest  with  the  entire  Federal  force  in  front  of  him. 

Meanwhile,  Gen.  Ewell  had  a  hard  fight  upon  Gen.  Hill's 
right.  The  same  obstacles  barred  his  advance  upon  the 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  119 

enemy's  position,  but  he  charged  through  the  swamp,  up  the 
hill  in  face  of  a  terrible  fire,  and  fought  with  that  daring 
which  had  so  often  excited  the  admiration  of  his  commander. 
Reinforced  by  Lawton  and  Trimble,  Gen.  Ewell  continued  the 
struggle  until  dusk,  when  his  ammunition  being  completely 
exhausted,  he  fell  back. 

Jackson's  old  division  was  the  third  in  the  line,  counting 
from  left  to  right,  and  was  held  as  a  species  of  reserve,  to  be 
sent  to  the  support  of  any  part  of  the  line  which  was  hard 
pressed.  The  1st  "Stonewall"  Brigade  moved  on  tfye  enemy's 
front  through  the  swamp,  so  frequently  mentioned,  and  did 
some  of  the  hardest  fighting  of  the  whole  day.  The  enemy 
contended  with  especial  obstinacy  for  the  possession  of  the 
ground  at  this  point,  which  was  the  key  of  his  position  ;  and 
the  roar  of  his  artillery  and  musketry,  as  his  fire  converged 
upon  it,  was  appalling.  ^Jackson  said  that  night,  in  the  hear 
ing  of  the  writer,  that  it  was  "  the  most  terrible  fire  of  mus 
ketry  he  ever  heard,"  and  all  who  heard  it  will  recognize  the 
truth  of  the  description.  The  old  brigade  did  not  flinch  from 
the  ordeal.  Under  its  brave  leader,  Gen.  Charles  Winder,  it 
moved  steadily  on,  amid  the  tempest  of  projectiles,  and  driving 
the  enemy  from  point  to  point,  stormed  his  last  position,  three 
hundred  yards  beyond  McGee's,  with  the  bayonet.  The  2d 
Brigade  was  sent  to  reinforce  Gen.  Wilcox,  at  his  own  re 
quest,  but  arrived  too  late  to  take  part  in  the  engagement. 
The  3d  Brigade,  sent  to  support  Whiting,  also  came  too  late. 
The  4th  Brigade  took  part  in  the  general  charge  late  in  the 
evening. 

C5 

Gen.  Whiting's  division,  which  held  the  right  of  Jackson's 
line,  advanced  through  the  wood  and  swamp,  in  face  of  a 
murderous  fire.  Hood's  4th  (Texas)  Brigade  charged  with 
a  loud  yell,  and  rushing  down  the  precipitous  ravine,  leaping 
ditch  and  stream,  pressed  forward  over  the  enemy's  abatis, 
and  every  obstruction,  driving  all  before  them.  They  lost 
1,000  men,  but  they  took  14  pieces  of  cannon,  nearly  a  regi- 


120  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON 

ment  of  prisoners,  and  strewed  the  ground  with,  the  Federal 
dead.  It  was  of  the  Texans  that  Jackson,  on  the  next  da}, 
said,  as  he  surveyed  the  ditch  and  abatis  over  which  they  ha<l 
charged :  "  The  men  who  carried  this  position  were  soldiers 
indeed." 

The  movements  which  we  have  thus  related  in  sequence, 
took  place  together,  all  along  the  line.  It  was  a  close,  almost 
hand-to-hand  encounter  on  our  part,  with  small-arms  only— 
but  with  one  striking  exception.  The  only  artillery  used  was 
that  of  Capt.  John  Pelham,  of  the  Stuart  Horse  Artillery. 
Pelham  was  sent  forward  with  two  guns,  a  Blakely  and  Napo 
leon,  to  a  position  in  advance  of  the  old  Cold  Harbor  House, 
and  ordered  to  engage  the  enemy's  batteries  on  the  eminence 
in  front,  diverting  their  fire  from  Hill,  and  the  Stonewall  Bri 
gade.  Capt.  Pelham  performed  this  important  duty  with  ;i 
gallantry  and  nerve  which  extorted  the  admiration  of  all  who 
witnessed  the  affair.  He  opened  upon  the  heavy  batteries  cf 
the  enemy  at  close  range  with  unfaltering  resolution  ;  and 
though  his  Blakely  gun  was  soon  disabled  and  obliged  to  b  j 
withdrawn,  he  continued  to  fight  the  batteries  in  front  with 
his  one  Napoleon,  directing  the  management  of  the  gun  in 
person,  and  holding  his  ground  with  that  stubborn  courago 
which  afterwards  immortalized  the  young  artillerist  at  Fred- 
ericksburg.  The  diversion  produced  by  the  galling  and  per 
sistent  fire  of  the  Napoleon  was  exceedingly  important  in  its 
effect  upon  the  fortunes  of  the  day  ;  and  other  batteries  having- 
been  bi ought  up  and  put  in  action  at  the  same  point,  the 
enemy's  fire  began  sensibly  to  slacken. 

It  was  at  this  moment,  and  just  as  night  was  descending, 
that  the  general  and  decisive  charge  was  made  all  along  the 
line,  in  obedience  to  Jackson's  brief,  stern  order — "Press  them 
with  the  bayonet,"  Hill's,  Swell's,  Whiting's,  and  Jackson's 
divisions  all  charged.  Hood's  Texans  and  the  Stonewall 
Brigade,  in  advance  of  all  the  rest,  pressed  forward  with  cheers 
of  defiance,  over  every  obstacle — and  before  this  terrible 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON.  121 

charge  in  front,  and  the  storm  of  artillery  on  their  right,  the 
enemy  wavered,  broke,  and  were  put  to  rout.  Posted  in  ad 
vance  of  his  batteries,  his  figure  clearly  revealed  by  the  fires 
which  the  enemy  had  kindled  to  draw  the  artillery  fire  from 
their  guns — Jackson  heard  the  wild  cheers  of  his  men  as  they 
pursued  the  flying  enemy  in  the  direction  of  Grapevine  Bridge . 

The  foe  was  routed,  and  as  Jackson's  brigade  decided  the 
fate  of  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  so  Jackson's  corps  decided 
the  day  at  Cold  Harbor.  The  heroic  troops  who  had  driven 
the  enemy  from  their  powerful  positions  on  the  Chickahominy, 
back  to  the  point  where  they  fell  into  the  stern  clutch  of  Jack 
son,  were  nearly  exhausted  by  the  enormous  struggle ;  and 
when  the  roll  of  musketry  at  Cold  Harbor  announced  the 
presence  of  Jackson  with  his  veteran  troops,  fresh  for  the  en 
counter,  a  thrill  ran  through  the  Confederate  host,  and  the 
hearts  of  the  Federals  sunk. 

Jackson's  appearance  decided  all. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE    RETREAT    OF    M*CLELLAN    TO    MALVERN    HILL. 

WHEN  night  fell  on  Friday,  June  27,  1862,  Gen.  McClellan 
was  routed. 

Thenceforward  the  only  question  was,  how  could  he  with 
draw  his  shattered  and  disheartened  forces  to  a  place  of  safety. 
Two  lines  of  retreat  were  left — both  perilous.  One  down  the 
Peninsula,  with  the  vengeful  Confederates  assailing  him  at 
every  step ;  forcing  him  to  turn  and  give  battle  day  by  day, 
if,  indeed,  the  first  encounter  did  not  terminate  in  the  destruc 
tion  of  his  command.  The  other  toward  James  river,  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Chickahominy,  right  through  the  Con- 

6 


122  LIFE    OF    STOJNEWALL   JACKSON. 

federate  lines — through  swamps  and  streams — over  treacher 
ous  roads — with  Lee  on  his  rear  and  flank,  ready  to  destroy 
him. 

Neither  prospect  was  inviting,  but  rapid  decision  was  neces 
sary  ;  and  Gen.  McClellan  determined  to  retreat  toward  Har 
rison's  Landing,  on  James  river. 

The  following  paragraphs  from  the  army  correspondence  of 
the  New  York  Tribune,  exhibits  the  condition  of  affairs  jit 
the  moment  when  the  retreat  commenced  ;  and  the  first  sen 
tences  contain  a  statement  of  the  effect  produced  upon  the 
minds  of  the  enemy  by  Jackson's  flank  attack  at  Cold  Ha  > 
bor: 

"My  note  book  says  that,  at  6  o'clock,  the  enemy  com 
menced  a  determined  attack  on  our  extreme  right,  evidently 
with  a  design  of  flanking  us.  It  was  an  awful  firing  that  ro- 
sounded  from  that  smoke-clouded  valley — not  heavier  than 
some  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  engagement,  but  more  steady 
and  determined.  It  was  only  by  overbearing  exhausted  men 
with  fresh  ones  that  the  enemy  succeeded  in  turning  thiit 
flank,  as,  at  length,  he  did  succeed,  only  too  well ;  and  he  a  3- 
complished  it  in  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  At  the  expiration 
of  that  time,  our  officers  judiciously  ordered  their  men  to  fall 
back  ;  the  order  was  not  obeyed  so  judiciously,  for  they  rrm 
back,  broken,  disordered,  routed.  (Italics  those  of  the  corre 
spondent.)  Simultaneously  the  wounded  and  skulkers  about 
the  buildings  used  as  hospitals,  caught  a  panic,  whether  from 
a  few  riderless  horses  plunging  madly  across  the  field,  or  from 
instantaneously  scenting  the  rout,  does  not  appear.  A  motley 
mob  started  pell-mell  for  the  bridges.  They  were  overtaken 
by  many  just  from  the  woods,  and  it  seemed  as  if  Bull  Run 
were  to  be  repeated. 

"  Meanwhile,  the  panic  extended.  Scores  of  gallant  officers 
endeavored  to  rally  and  re-form  the  stragglers,  but  in  vain, 
while  many  officers  forgot  the  pride  of  their  shoulder  straps, 
and  the  honor  of  their  manhood,  and  herded  with  the  sneaks 
and  cowards.  Oh,  that  I  had  known  the  names  of  those  officers 
I  saw,  the  brave  and  the  cowardly,  that  here,  now,  I  might  re 
ward  and  punish  by  directing  upon  each  individual  the  respect 
or  the  contempt  of  a  whole  people  ! 

"  That  scene  was  not  one  to  be  forgotten.     Scores  of  rider- 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  123 

less,  terrified  horses,  dashing  in  every  direction  ;  thick  flying 
bullets  singing  by,  admonishing  of  danger;  every  minute  a 
man  struck  down ;  wagons,  and  ambulances,  and  cannon, 
blockading  the  way ;  wounded  men  limping,  and  groaning, 
and  bleeding,  amid  the  throng;  officers  and  civilians  de 
nouncing,  and  reasoning,  and  entreating,  and  being  insensibly 
borne  along  with  the  mass;  the  sublime  cannonading,  the 
clouds  of  battle-smoke,  and  the  sun'  just  disappearing,  large 
and  blood-red — I  cannot  picture  it,  but  I  see  it,  and  always 
shall." 

It  is  only  justice  to  the  fallen  leader  to  say  that  he  conduct 
ed  the  movement  towards  Harrison's  Landing  with  great  mili 
tary  skill ;  and  although  he  had  the  benefit  of  some  terrible 
negligence,  incapacity,  misunderstanding,  misconception, — call 
it  what  you  will, — on  the  part  of  his  enemies  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Chickahominy,  yet  he  achieved  the  movement 
successfully,  and  got  under  cover  of  his  gunboats,  broken  down 
and  shattered,  but  not  cut  to  pieces  and  annihilated. 

The  battles  which  took  place  every  day  during  this  retreat 
will  long  be  memorable  for  the  obstinate  courage  of  the  Con 
federate  assaults,  and  the  heavy  losses  inflicted  upon  both 
combatants.  Otherwise,  the  battles  are  not  important.  They 
•were  terrible,  bloody,  full  of  the  darkest  tragedy,  but  not  de 
cisive.  McClellan  massed  his  artillery  finally  at  Malvern  Hill, 
and  maintained  his  ground  until  night,  when  he  evacuated  his 
'position  and  retreated  to  Harrison's  Landing,  under  cover  of 
his  gunboats. 

We  shall  only  touch  upon  the  movements  of  Gen.  Jackson 
during  these  days.  He  had  his  part  in  the  stirring  events  of 
the  time,  but  we  shall  not  dwell  upon  this  portion  of  his  career 
— simply  adverting  to  the  operations  of  his  corps  in  the  vari 
ous  battles. 

On  the  morning  of  the  28th,  Jackson  sent  Gen.  Ewell  for 
ward  to  Dispatch  Station,  on  the  York  River  Railroad,  Gen. 
Stuart  being  in  advance  with  his  cavalry.  The  cavalry  at- 


124  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

tacked  and  routed  a  party  of  the  enemy,  and  Ewell  tore  rp 
and  destroyed  the  railroad  at  that  point.  Finding  from  ca,r- 
alry  reconnoissances  toward  the  White  House  that  the  enen  y 
had  not  retreated  in  that  direction,  Gen.  Ewell  proceeded 
toward  Bottom's  Bridge,  on  the  next  day,  returning  thence 
and  rejoining  the  main  corps. 

On  the  night  of  the  29th,  Jackson,  who  had  remained,  up 
to  that  time,  upon  the  battle-field,  put  his  corps  in  motion, 
and  crossed  to  the  right  bank  of  the  Chickahominy,  at  Grape 
vine  Bridge.  This  bridge  had  furnished  an  avenue  of  escape 
to  McClellan  on  the  night  of  the  27th,  when  his  army  ga're 
way ;  and,  having  passed  over  the  rolling  and  uncertain 
structure  of  loose,  logs,  half  buried  in  the  slushy  soil,  lie 
had  destroyed  it  behind  him.  Jackson  hastily  reconstructed 
it,  and  pushing  forward,  arrived  at  Savage's  Station,  on  the 
York  River  Railroad,  where  he  gathered  up  about  1,000 
stragglers  from  the  Federal  army,  and  found  immense  stoics 
abandoned. 

From  Savage's  Station  he  proceeded  to  White  Oak  Swamp, 
and  came  upon  the  enemy  strongly  posted  with  artillery  ai  d 
sharpshooters  in  advance,  behind  the  stream ;  the  bridge  ov  3r 
which  they  had  passed  having  been  destroyed.  Here  a  hot 
artillery  fight  took  place,  but  the  enemy  continued  to  foil 
back,  and  Jackson  pressed  forward  to  Frazier's  farm,  where 
he  met  Generals  Lee  and  Longstreet,  and  was  assigned  to  the 
front.  His  presence  infused  new  ardor  into  the  pursuit  of  the 
retreating  enemy,  and,  advancing  under  an  incessant  fire,  he 
found  his  .corps  confronted  by  the  entire  army  of  McClellan, 
drawn  up  on  Malvern  Hill. 

The  Federal  commander  had  thus  escaped  to  an  almost  im 
pregnable  position,  but,  in  doing  so,  had  passed  through  scenes 
the  description  of  which,  in  army  letters,  harrowed  for  many 
months  the  blood  of  the  whole  Northern  people.  In  that  re 
treat  of  the  defeated  army,  the  depths  of  tragic  horror  were 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  125 

fathomed — human  endurance  seemed  to  have  been  exhausted. 
The  following  sentence  from  the  New  York  Tribunes  corre 
spondent  will  convey  some  idea  of  the  scene  : 

"Huddled  among  the  wagons  were  10,000  stragglers — for 
the  credit  of  the  nation  be  it  said  that  four-fifths  of  them  were 
wounded,  sick,  or  utterly  exhausted,  and  could  not  have  stirred 
but  for  dread  of  the  tobacco  warehouses  of  the  South.  The 
confusion  of  this  herd  of  men  and  mules,  wagons  and  wounded, 
men  on  horses,  men  on  foot,  men  by  the  road-side,  men  perched 
on  wagons,  men  searching  for  water,  men  famishing  for  food, 
men  lame  and  bleeding,  men  with  ghostly  eyes,  looking  out 
between  bloody  bandages,  that  hid  the  face — turn  to  some 
vivid  account  of  the  most  pitiful  part  of  Napoleon's  retreat 
from  Russia,  and  fill  out  the  picture — the  grim,  gaunt,  bloody 
picture  of  war  in  its  most  terrible  features." 

"  It  was  determined  to  move  on  during  the  night.  The  dis 
tance  to  Turkey  Island  Bridge,  the  point  on  James  river  which 
was  to  be  reached,  by  the  direct  road  was  six  miles.  But 
those  vast  numbers  could  not  move  over  one  narrow  road  in 
days;  hence  every  by-road,  no  matter  how  circuitous,  had 
been  searched  out  by  questioning  prisoners  and  by  cavalry 
excursions.  Every  one  was  filled  by  one  of  the  advancing  col 
umns.  The  whole  front  was  in  motion  by  seven  p.  M.,  General 
Keyes  in  command  of  the  advance. 

"  I  rode  with  General  Howe's  brigade  of  Couch's  division, 
taking  a  wagon  track  through  dense  woods  and  precipitous 
ravines  winding  sinuously  far  around  to  the  left,  and  striking 
the  river  some  distance  below  Turkey  Island.  Commencing 
at  dusk,  the  march  continued  until  daylight.  The  night  was 
dark 'and  fearful.  Heavy  thunder  rolled  in  turn  along  each 
point  of  the  heavens,  and  dark  clouds  spread  the  entire  canopy. 
We  were  forbidden  to  speak  aloud  ;  or,  lest  the  light  of  a  cigar 
should  present  a  target  tor  an  ambushed  rifle,  we  were  cautioned 
not  to  smoke.  Ten  miles  of  weary  marching,  with  frequent 
halts,  as  some  one  of  the  hundred  vehicles  of  the  artillery  train, 
in  our  centre,  by  a  slight  deviation  crashed  against  a  tree,  wore 
away  the  hours  to  dawn,  when  we  debouched  into  a  magnifi 
cent  wheat  field,  and  the  smoke  stack  of  the  Galena  was  in 
sight.  Xenophon's  remnant  of  ten  thousand,  shouting,  'The 
sea  !  the  sea  !'  were  not  more  glad  than  we." 

It  is  certain' that  the  whole  Federal  army  shared  this  feeling. 


126  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Another  writer  in  the  New  York  Times,  who  strives  to  con 
ceal  the  extent  of  the  enemy's  discomfiture,  says: 


"When  an  aid  of  General  McClellan  rode  back  and  report  ;d 
that  the  way  was  all  open  to  James  river,  a  thrill  of  relief  ran 
through  the  whole  line,  and  a  sight  of  the  green  fields  skirting 
its  banks  was  indeed  an  oasis  in  the  terrible  desert  of  suspense 
and  apprehension  through  which  they  had  passed.  The  teai  is 
were  now  put  upon  a  lively  trot,  in  order  to  relieve  the  pres 
sure  upon  that  portion  still  in  the  rear. 

"General  McClellan  and  staff  rode  ahead  and  took  posses 
sion  of  the  old  estate  known  as  Malvern  Hill,  one  mile  ba<  k 
from  Turkey  Island  Bend.  It  is  a  large,  old-fashioned  estate, 
originally  built  by  the  French,  and  has  near  it,  in  front,  an  o!d 
earthwork,  constructed  by  General  Washington  during  the 
Revolutionary  War.  It  has  a  spacious  yard,  shaded  by  vener 
able  elms  and  other  trees.  A  fine  view  of  the  river  can  be 
had  from  this  elevated  position.  General  McClellan  expressc  d 
the  opinion  that,  with  a  brief  time  to  prepare,  the  position 
could  be  held  against  any  force  the  enemy  can  bring  against  us. 

"Exhausted  by  long  watching  and  fatigue,  and  covered 
thickly  with  the  dust  of  the  road  over  which  we  had  passe  i, 
many  officers  threw  themselves  upon  the  shady  and  gras>y 
lawn  to  rest.  The  soldiers  also,  attracted  by  the  shady  trees, 
surrounded  the  house,  or  bivouacked  in  the  fields  near  by. 

"  General  McClellan  immediately  addressed  himself  to  tl  e 
task  of  preparing  dispatches  for  the  government." 


From  the  composition  of  his  dispatches,  announcing  the  suc 
cessful  occupation  of  a  new  and  more  favorable  position  for  his 
projected  advance  upon  Richmond,  Gen.  McClellan  was  di 
verted  by  the  intelligence  that  the  enemy  were  approaching  to 
attack  him  in  his  last  stronghold. 

In  speaking  of  the  hard-fought  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  we 
shall  confine  ourselves  to  a  brief  notice  of  the  part  taken  in 
the  contest  by  Gen.  Jackson's  corps.  The  command  lost  here 
some  of  its  best  men — sleeping  now  amid  the  dim  pines  of 
Charles  City. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  127 

Jackson  formed  his  line  in  the  following  order :  Whiting's 
division  on  the  left,  at  Poindexter's  farm ;  D.  H.  Hill  more 
to  the  right ;  Taylor's  brigade  of  Swell's  division,  forward  be 
tween  Hill  and  Whiting,  the  rest  of  that  division,  in  rear  of  the 
first  line.  Jackson's  division  was  halted  near  Willis's  Church, 
and  held  in  reserve,  concealed  amid  the  dense  woods* 

Hill  hearing,  as  he  supposed,  the  signal  from  Gen.  Lee  for 
&  general  advance,  put  his  lines  in  motion,  and  advanced  to 
attack  the  tremendous  position  before  him.  He  was  met  by 
overwhelming  numbers,  and  so  hard  pressed  that  he  was  com 
pelled  to  call  urgently  for  reinforcements.  Jackson  promptly 
sent  forward  Swell's  reserve  and  his  own  old  division,  but 
owing  to  the  swampy  nature  of  the  ground,  the  thick  under 
growth  and  gathering  darkness,  their  march  was  so  much 
retarded  that  they  did  not  arrive  in  time  to  enable  Hill  to 
maintain  his  position.  He  was  forced  to  fall  back  with  heavy 
loss,  at  nightfall. 

On  the  left,  Gen.  Whiting  with  his  batteries  drove  back  an 
advance  of  the  enemy  upon  Jackson's  centre ;  but  this  was 
decisive  of  no  results;  Jackson's  corps  slept  on  the  field  in 
front  of  the  enemy — but  in  the  morning  the  Federal  army  had 
retreated. 

Such  was  the  part  borne  by  Gen.  Jackson  in  the  battle  of 
Malvern  Hill  one  of  the  most  hotly  contested  of  the  war.  It 
has  not  been  necessary  to  the  design  of  this  work,  to  describe 
the  great  combat  in  all  its  details,  any  more  than  the  battle  of 
Cold  Harbor.  We  add,  however,  the  following  animated 
sentences  of  a  writer  soon  after  the  event,  which  convey  a 
very  truthful  idea  of  the  fury  of  the  contest,  and  the  condi 
tions  upon  which  it  was  fought. 

"  Gen.  McClellan,"  says  this  writer,  "  prepared,  in  the  lan 
guage  of  one  of  his  officers,  to  *  clothe  the  hill  in  sheets  of 
n"ame.'  Every  ravine  swarmed  with  his  thousands,  and  along 
the  crest  of  every  hill  flashed  forth  his  numerous  artillery, 
having  for  the  most  part  an  unbroken  play  over  the  ascend- 


128  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON 

ing  slope,  and  across  cleared  fields  of  twelve  hundred  yards  ir. 
length. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  formidable  nature  of  this  position,  il 
•was  determined  to  attack  him.  It  was  not  in  the  plan  of  our 
skillful  and  able  general-in-chief,  whose  genius  had  conceived 
the  whole  of  the  strategy  which  crushed  McClellan,  to  permit 
the  enemy  to  stand  at  bay,  and  arrest  our  terrible  pursuit 
merely  by  a  show  of  battle-array — and  so,  late  in  the  afternoon 
of  Tuesday,  1st  July,  this  tremendous  contest  commenced. 
Soon  Malvern  Hill  was  sheeted  with  ascending  and  descend- . 
ing  flame  of  fire.  Thirty-seven  pieces  of  artillery,  supported 
at  a  greater  distance  by  heavy  and  more  numerous  batteries, 
and  by  his  gunboats,  kept  faithful  ward  over  the  enemy's  po 
sition,  and  ploughed  through  our  columns^even  before  they 
could  see  the  enemy  or  deploy  into  line  of  battle.  Undismayed 
by  the  most  terrible  cannonading  of  the  war,  the  terrible  ad 
vance  of  Magruder's  forces  commenced.  Onward,  in  the  face 
of  a  storm  of  shot  and  shell,  they  pressed  forward,  until  in  mus 
ket  range  of  the  enemy,  and  then  they  opened  their  terrific 
fire.  Whole  lines  of  the  enemy  fell  as  they  stood,  or,  attempt 
ing  retreat,  were  overtaken  by  the  fatal  bullets  of  our  troops, 
who  never  veered  in  their  aim  or  recoiled,  while  the  enemy's 
infantry  remained  in  range,  and  when  forced  back  for  a  time 
by  the  avalanche  of  converging  artillery,  yet  when  the  infantry 
of  the  enemy  ventured  again  beyond  their  batteries,  our  heroic 
lines  advanced  with  shout  and  bayonet,  and  drove  them  back 
among  the  reserves  and  behind  the  wall  of  fire  which  flamed 
along  the  mouths  of  the  circling  cannon.  Thus  the  contest 
ebbed  and  flowed  until  night  spread  its  mantle  on  the  battle 
field. 

"  The  batteries  of  the  enemy  were  not  captured  by  assault, 
because  no  line  of  men  could  live  in  their  converging  fires, 
sweeping  unobstructed  the  attacking  forces  for  twelve  hun 
dred  yards,  but  his  line  of  infantry  was  repeatedly  broken 
with  frightful  slaughter  by  the  fierce  charges  of  our  troops, 
who  held  their  position  and  slept  on  the  field,  within  one  hun 
dred  yards  of  the  enemy's  guns.  The  extent  of  the  carnage 
of  the  enemy  no  one  imagined  until  daylight  revealed  it  in  the 
horrors  of  the  battle-field.  Our  dead  lay  close  together,  pro 
ducing  thus  upon  the  beholder  an  exaggerated  impression  of 
the  number ;  but  an  examination  showed  that  the  loss  of 
the  enemy  much  exceeded  ours,  His  dead  lay  everywhere — • 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  129 

here  in  line  of  battle,  there  in  wild  confusion  of  rout  and  re 
treat — not  a  ravine,  not  a  glade,  not  a  hill  that  was  not  dotted 
by  their  mangled  forms,  while  every  dwelling,  out-house,  barn, 
and  stable  for  miles  around  was  crowded  with  their  dead  and 
dying.  In  many  places  groups  of  dead  were  found  distant 
from  the  battle-field,  where  it  was  evident  they  were  carried 
with  the  intent  of  bearing  them  to  the  river,  and  where  they 
were  roughly  and  rudely  tossed  on  the  wayside  when  the 
panic  overtook  their  escorte  Every  indication  showed  the 
wildest  flight  of  the  enemy.  Cannon  and  caissons  were  aban 
doned,  and  for  miles  the  road  was  filled  with  knapsacks, 
rifles,  muskets,  <fcc.,  &c.  Loaded  wagons  were  left  in  the  road, 
with  vast  quantities  of  ammunition  unexploded.  Caisson 
drivers  opened  their  ammunition  chests  and  threw  out  their 
powder  and  round  shot  to  lighten  their  loads,  to  enable  them 
to  keep  up  with  the  rapid  flight.  It  is  hazarding  but  little  to 
say,  that  when  night  put  an  end  to  the  battle,  the  whole  army 
of  McClellan,  with  the  exception  of  the  artillery,  and  its  di 
minished  infantry  guard  near  Crew's  and  Turner's  houses, 
was  utterly  disorganized,  and  had  become  a  mob  of  stragglers. 
At  daylight  next  morning  nothing  could  be  seen  of  his  army 
except  some  cavalry  pickets,  that  in  the  distance  observed  our 
advance.  We  do  not  believe  that  fifteen  thousand  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Potomac  retreated  from  the  bloody 
heights  of  Malvern  Hill  as  soldiery.  If  nature  had  scooped 
out  the  bed  of  James  river  twenty  miles  distant  from  Malvern 
Hill,  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Potomac  would  have  ceased  to 


McClellan  had  been  enabled,  by  massing  his  artillery  upon 
strong  positions,  to  repulse  a  portion  of  the  Confederate  as 
sault,  and  hold  the  ground  until  the  welcome  shades  of  night 
put  an  end  to  the  contest.  But  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill, 
indecisive  as  it  appeared,  had  a  conclusive  effect  upon -the 
Federal  army.  The  frightful  carnage  which  took  place  in 
their  ranks  bore  heavily  upon  the  spirits  of  men  who  were 
completely  exhausted  by  the  prostrating  fatigue  and  excite 
ment  of  six  days  of  marching  and  fighting,  almost  without 
rest  or  food.  From  the  26th  of  June,  the  Federal  troops  had 
had  no  breathing  space.  They  were  either  engaged  in  des- 

fi* 


130  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

perate  combat  with  the  foe  during  all  that  time,  or  retreating, 
hotly  pursued.  That  foe,  like  a  vengeful  Nemesis,  stilJ 
hovered  over  them,  as  fresh  and  vigorous,  to  all  appearances, 
as  ever,  and  under  these  combined  influences  of  fatigue 
famine,  disaster,  and  hopelessness,  the  hearts  of  the  eueni} 
sunk.  They  gave  up  all  further  idea  of  victory  ;  many  threw 
down  their  arms,  and  sauve  qui  pent  was  now  the  order  of  the 
day  throughout  almost  the  entire  Federal  army.  They  nc 
longer  looked  forward  toward  the  Confederate  lines,  but  back 
ward  toward  Harrison's  Landing,  where,  under  the  shelter  o ' 
the  gunboats,  they  saw  their  only  hope  of  extrication  from 
the  horrors  which  surrounded  them.  Broken  in  spirit,  pros 
trated  physically,  and  seeing  in  further  contests  additional 
disaster  only,  they  gave  up  the  struggle,  straggled  away,  and 
arrived  at  the  haven  of  safety  a  confused  and  disorderly  mob. 
rather  than  a  disciplined  and  effective  army. 

Let  the  following  paragraph,  from  the  correspondent  of  the 
New  York  Tribune,  at  Harrison's  Landing,  on  the  2d  of  July, 
describe  the  demeanor  of  General  McClellan,  and  the  condi 
tion  of  his  troops : 

"  General  McClellan  came  on  board  the  mail  .boat,  greatly 
perturbed.  He  met  General  Patterson  as  he  stepped  on 
board,  laid  his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  and  took  him  in  a  hur 
ried  manner  into  the  aft  cabin,  or  ladies'  saloon.  As  he  went 
in  he  beat  the  air  with  his  right  hand  clenched,  from  which  all 
present  inferred  there  was  bad  news.  To  the  astonishment  of 
the  writer,  it  was  subsequently  explained  'that  the  whole 
army  of  the  Potomac  lay  stretched  along  the  banks  of  the 
river  where  we  lay,  having  fought  their  way  all  through  from 
Fair  Oaks,  a  distance  of  thirty  miles.'  General  McClellan, 
however,  claimed  that  his  troops  '  had  fought  the  Confeder 
ates  in  superior  numbers  every  day  for  a  week,  and  whipped 
them  every  time.'  To  a  question  as  to  the  location  of  certain 
divisions  and  their  generals,  the  answer  was,  'They  are  scat 
tered  everywhere,  but  are,  nevertheless,  in  a  solid,  compact 
body.'  And  in  reply  to  another  remark,  it  was  said,  '  What 
we  want  is  fresh  men;  they  (the  troops)  are  worked  to 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  131 

death.'  The  description  of  the  troops,  on  a  dead  level  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  covered  from  head  to  foot,  and  up  to  their 
knees  in  mud  in  the  soft,  moist  alluvial  soil,  is  painfully  graphic. 
*  Under  some  trees  which  lay  in  clusters,  the  men  were  crouched. 
They  looked,'  says  the  writer,  *  as  if  they  were  more  dead  than 
alive.  They  were  covered  to  the  crown  of  the  head  with  mud  ; 
their  faces  and  clothes  were  literally  coated,  while  their  shoes 
and  boots  had  several  pounds  of  the  nasty  yellow  stuff  into 
and  all  around  them.'  " 

Such  was  the  termination  of  the  long  agony  of  invasion — 
defeat,  disaster,  ruin.  The  boasted  plans  for  taking  the  Con 
federate  capital  had  all  failed.  The  splendid  army,  which, 
by  General  McClellan's  sworn  statement  on  his  trial,  amounted 
to  more  than  150,000  men,  of  whom  112,000  were  hale,  hearty 
and  effective,  had  been  routed  and  overwhelmed  ;  beaten  in 
battle  after  battle;  driven  ignominiously  from  its  positions, 
and  huddled  together — a  shrinking,  trembling,  broken-spirited 
flock  of  sheep — under  the  bristling  portholes  of  the  gunboats 
on  James  river.  That  tragic  end  of  all  its  hopes  was  patent  to 
the  great  world  of  America  and  Europe.  Glozing  dispatches 
could  not  smooth  over  the  disaster ;  the  pretence  of  a  pre 
meditated  "  change  of  base,"  to  a  more  favorable  position  for 
advancing  upon  Richmond,  deceived  nobody.  The  Old  World 
and  the  New — England,  France,  New  York,  Lincoln  and  Sew- 
ard,  and  their  compeers— saw  that  this  was  defeat ;  for  the 
time,  final,  irrevocable  defeat.  McClellan  had  played  for  a 
great  stake ;  brought  all  his  skill,  strategy,  brain  and  strength 
and  nerve  to  bear  upon  the  contest.  The  game  went  against 
him  ;  he  was  bankrupt ;  and  the  world  would  not  believe  that 
he  rose  the  winner. 

We  have  presented  a  rapid  narrative  of  these  great  battles, 
so  far  as  Jackson's  corps  took  part  in  them.  The  statements 
of  fact  are  all  that  is  needed :  comment  is  unnecessary.  The 
plans  of  General  Lee  were  those  of  a  great  commander,  and 
the  best  proof  of  their  eminent  wisdom  lies  in  •  the  fact,  that 
McClellau  speedily  discovered,  but  could  not  counteract  them, 


132  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

The  hand  of  Fate  was  on  him,  in  the  person  of  Lee ;  he  had 
been  outgeneralled ;  and,  though  prompt  intelligence  reached 
the  Federal  commander,  as  he  stated  on  his  trial,  that  Jackson 
was  approaching — though  he  wrote  to  Lincoln,  on  the  25th  of 
June,  that  he  would  "  probably  be  attacked  to-morrow" — the 
position  of  his  forces  was  such  that  he  could  not  guard  against 
the  assault,  and  his  fate  was  already  decided.  The  hand  upon 
the  dial  pointed  to  the  fated  moment ;  the  hour  struck ;  and 
the  star  of  McClellan,  the  "  Young  Napoleon"  of  popular  fancy, 
went  down  in  blood. 

Lee  had  thus  outgeneralled,  and  soon  outfought  and  tri 
umphed  over  his  opponent.  He  had  proved  himself  the 
greatest  captain  of  the  age,  but  with  what  magnificent  lieuten 
ants  !  Longstreet,  the  hard,  stubborn,  unyielding  fighter,  who, 
like  the  "  War  Horse,"  a  name  given  him  by  Lee,  snuffed  the 
coming  battle,  and  fought  with  a  skill,  a  courage,  a  resolution, 
so  admirable !  Stuart,  the  prince  of  cavalry  leaders,  with  his 
native  genius  for  the  career  of  arms,  his  nerve,  his  daring,  his 
elan  in  a  charge,  and  that  coolness  which  never  deserted  him, 
whatever  peril  menaced,  or  disaster  seemed  imminent.  A.  P. 
Hill,  of  the  "Light  Division,"  the  chivalric,  dashing,  steady, 
indomitable  leader.  Ewell,  the  blunt,  stern,  abrupt,  thoroughly 
reliable  soldier,  who  never  yielded,  and  compelled  victory  to 
his  standard.  Hood,  the  immovable  rock,  which  dashed  back 
every  wave  that  struck  it.  The  generals  of  divisions  and 
brigades;  the  colonels  of  regiments;  the  commanders  of 
squadrons  and  battalions ;  the  captains  of  companies — all  co 
operated  in  this  grand  result,  upholding  the  hands  of  their 
great  commander-in-chief,  and  insuring  the  success  of  the 
Confederate  arms. 

Among  those  lieutenants  of  the  great  captain  one  name 
shines  with  unsurpassed  lustre — the  name  of  Jackson.  It 
was  Jackson  who  came  with  his  fresh  troops  to  decide  the  fate 
of  the  obstinate  contest ;  to  hurl  his  trained  legions  upon 
the  enemy,  and  to  drive  them  from  the  hard-fought  field. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  133 

"With  what  skill,  courage,  and  perfect  success  this  was  done, 
the  reports  of  General  Lee  will  show.  These  two  men  had 
now  met  for  the  first  time  in  the  war ;  had  seen  each  other  at 
work ;  and  there  sprung  up  at  once  between  the  two  eminent 
soldiers,  that  profound  respect,  confidence,  and  regard,  which 
thenceforth  knew  no  diminution,  no  shadow  of  turning. 
Jackson  said  of  Lee,  "  He  is  a  phenomenon.  I  would  follow 
him  blindfolded."  And  when  the  former  was  struck  at 
Chancellorsville  by  the  fatal  bullet  which  forced  him  to  quit 
the  field,  Lee  wrote : 

"I  have  just  received  your  note  informing  me  that  you 
were  wounded.  I  cannot  express  my  regret  at  the  occurrence. 
Could  I  have  dictated  events,  I  should  have  chosen,  for  the 
good  of  the  country,  to  have  been  disabled  in  your  stead.  I 
congratulate  you  upon  the  victory  which  is  due  to  your  skill 
and  energy." 

It  was  on  the  field  of  Cold  Harbor  that  this  great  and 
noble  friendship  had  its  beginning.  The  men  measured  each 
other,  face  to  face,  saw  each  the  other's  stature ;  and  thence 
forth  knew  what  they  had  to  rely  on.  This  utter  confidence 
was  the  crowning  glory  of  both ;  and  the  note  of  Lee  at 
Chancellorsville  will  remain  forever  the  glorious  epitaph  of 
Jackson ;  the  declaration  of  the  latter,  above  recorded,  is  a 
noble  authority  for  the  historian  of  the  future,  in  delineating 
the  great  form  of  Lee. 

Jackson  fought  at  Cold  Harbor  and  Malvern  Hill,  as 
everywhere,  with  the  science  of  a  great  soldier;  but  the 
arduous  toil  and  anxiety  of  earlier  days  in  the  Valley  was 
spared  him.  His  troops  no  longer  required  watching,  and 
careful  manoeuvring,  to  make  them  victorious.  The  raw 
levies  had  become  veteran  legions ;  the  inexperienced  volun 
teer  officers  had  grown  to  be  masters  of  the  art  of  fighting. 
Like  bloodhounds,  they  had  only  to  be  loosed,  to  follow  with 
unerring  accuracy  the  trail  of  victory.  The  writer  of  this 
page  saw  Gen.  Jackson  in  those  days,  and  he  was  utterly 


134:  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

calm.  He  had  the  air  of  one  who  knew  upon  what  he  relied, 
and  foresaw  the  event.  His  troops  and  the  skilful  leaders 
who  commanded  them,  had  been  placed  in  position ;  the  lines 
of  the  enemy  pointed  out ;  thenceforth,  the  affair  lay  with 
them ;  and  once  unleashed,  these  dogs  of  war  never  paused 
until  the  prey  was  run  down,  and  in  their  clutch. 

Malvern  Hill  was  the  end  of  the  struggle  around  Richmond. 
It  is  true  that  Gen.  Lee  sent  Jackson  forward  on  the  nex ••; 
day,  toward  Harrison's  Landing,  and  that,  on  the  day  after, 
there  was  a  desultory  skirmish  between  the  opposing  forces. 
But  the  roll  of  great  events  was  exhausted ;  the  curtain  "had 
fallen  upon  the  bloody  drama. 

The  Confederate  army  remained  in  front  of  the  enemy  until 
the  8th  of  July.  Jackson  was  strongly  in  favor  of  an  advance, 
and  subsequent  revelations,  by  Gen.  McClellan,  of  the  strength 
and  condition  of  his  army  at  that  time,  afford  ample  grounds 
for  believing  that  such  an  advance  would  have  terminated  in 
his  destruction.  • 

Upon  grounds,  however,  which  seemed  to  them  at  that  timo 
conclusive,  the  Confederate  authorities  determined  to  retire ; 
and  on  the  8th  of  July,  our  forces  were  accordingly  withdrawn. 
Jackson's  corps  fell  into  line,  left  the  hot  pine  woods  in  which 
they  had  lain,  sweltering,  in  front  of  the  enemy,  and  took  up 
the  line  of  march  for  the  neighborhood  of  Richmond. 

Jackson  had  lost  at  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  589  killed, 
and  2,671  wounded.  At  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  3  7? 
killed,  and  1,746  wounded. 

The  famous  corps  had  sustained,  in  the  fullest  degree,  its 
noble  reputation,  won  in  the  hard  combats  beyond  the  moun 
tains  ;  had  left  its  mark  all  along  the  road  from  Ashland,  by 
Cold  Harbor,  to  Malvern  Hill ;  but,  alas !  had  left,  too,  some 
of  its  most  precious  blood,  poured  out  in  the  lowlands,  as 
other  precious  blood  had  been,  in  the  Virginia  Valley.  Those 
brave  hearts  sleep  now  under  the  green  sod  of  the  Hanover 
slopes ;  in  the  silent  and  mysterious  swamps  of  the  Chicka- 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  135 

hominy  ;  and  beneath  the  dim  pines  of  Charles  City,  sighing 
over  their  unknown  graves.  But  they  are  not  forgotten. 
Their  names  are  linked  with  the  name  and  fame  of  Jackson, 
and  will  live  forever. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

POPE. 

THE  disastrous  termination  of  the  battles  around  Richmond 
only  aroused  the  Northern  government  to  new  efforts.  Hard 
fighting  had  failed  to  secure  their  object ;  brutality  and  fren 
zied  rage  against  the  "rebels"  were  now  to  be  the  controlling 
elements  of  the  Federal  policy. 

All  restraints  of  decency  were  to  be  laid  aside ;  the  rules  of 
civilized  warfare  ignored;  the  gentlemen  of  the  South  con 
tending  in  open  and  honorable  conflict  for  their  homes  and 
liberties  were  to  be  treated  as  slaves  in  revolt  against  their 
masters. 

The  radical  party  had  finally  gained  the  ascendency,  and 
the  signal  was  given  for  new  and  more  extensive  preparations 
for  carrying  on  the  war.  The  object  now  was  to  overwhelm, 
by  every  means,  honorable  or  dishonorable,  the  strength  oi 
the  "  rebellion." 

A  bill  was  passed  confiscating  the  slaves  of  all  persons  loyal 
to  the  South.  Another  act  directed  slaves  to  be  armed  and 
enrolled  as  troops.  Military  commanders  were  authorized  to 
seize  and  make  use  of  any  property,  real  or  personal,  belong 
ing  to  citizens  of  the  Confederacy,  necessary  or  convenient  for 
their  commands,  without  compensation  to  the  owners. 

The  war  was  thus  to  be  conducted  in  future  upon  the  radi 
cal  programme ;  upon  the  fundamental  principle  that  rebellion 
against  the  "  best  government  the  world  ever  saw  "  was  a  crime 


136  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

of  so  deep  a  dye,  that  those  guilty  of  it,  should  be  treated 
•without  mercy,  and  as  enemies  beyond  the  pale  of  civilized 
warfare.  Napoleon,  when  it  was  necessary,  subsisted  his  ar 
mies  on  the  country  through  which  he  passed,  but  honestly 
paid  for  every  thing.  It  was  reserved  for  the  Federal  govern 
ment  to  seize  every  species  of  property  without  compensation ; 
to  ransack  clothes-presses  and  china  closets,  and  rob  the  very 
hen-roosts  and  dairies. 

The  new  campaign  was  to  be  inaugurated  in  that  beautiful 
region  of  Virginia  lying  north  of  the  Rappahannock  and 
Rapidan.  During  the  month  of  July,  while  McClellan  was 
still  lying  on  the  hot  shores  of  James  river,  with  a  portion  of 
his  defeated  army,  fresh  levies  were  rapidly  hurried  forward 
to  Washington.  That  city  became  one  great  camp:  and 
under  the  inspiring  influences  of  the  new  radical  regime,  a 
large  force  was  soon  ready  to  take  the  field.  This  body  of 
men  was  known  as  the  "Army  of  Virginia" — and  was 
speedily  sent  forward  to  Warreuton,  Little  Washington,  and 
Fredericksburg,  with  a  view  to  advance  upon  Gordonsville, 
and  cut  the  communications  between  Richmond  and  Staunton. 

The  command  of  the  "  Army  of  Virginia "  was  intrusted 
to  Major-general  John  Pope ;  a  personage  chiefly  renowned 
for  having  been  cowhided  without  resistance  by  a  Southern 
gentleman,  for  embezzling  large  sums  of  public  money,  and 
for  having  been  guilty,  while  commanding  in  Missouri,  of 
outrages  which  "  challenge  a  comparison  with  the  most  infer 
nal  record,  ever  bequeathed  by  the  licensed  murderer  to  the 
abhorrence  of  mankind." 

The  career  of  Pope  in  Virginia  is  one  of  the  most  gro 
tesque  chapters  in  the  annals  of  war.  Let  us  not  speak  of 
him  with  indignation,  or  in  terms  of  labored  insult.  Oppro 
brious  epithets  cannot  reach  him ;  and  the  present  writer  would 
derive  no  satisfaction  from  dwelling  on  the  fact  that  Gen.  Pope, 
as  all  now  concede,  was  a  braggart,  a  poltroon ;  guilty  of  sys 
tematic  falsehood ;  and  proved  to  have  perpetrated  in  his  own 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  137 

person,  outrages  which  mark  the  low-born  and  low-bred 
wretch.  He  has  been  called  a  *'  Yankee  compound  of  Boba- 
dil  and  Munchausen."  But  unfortunately  this  Bobadil  com 
manded  a  large  army;  this  Munchausen  signed  "Major- 
general"  beneath  his  name. 

Before  following  the  further  movements  of  General  Jack 
son,  let  us  notice  some  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Federal 
troops,  under  the  leader  whom  he  was  soon  to  overthrow. 
The  subject,  as  we  have  said  is  grotesque :  and  suppressing 
our  indignation  at  the  outrages  which  laid  waste  one  of  the 
fairest  portions  of  the  State,  we  may  contemplate  with  a  spe 
cies  of  curious  interest,  the  doings  of  these  vermin  ;  their 
robbery  of  hen-roosts ;  their  predatory  excursions  in  search  of 
eggs ;  their  guttural  reply  to  all  questions,  "  /  vites  mit  Zie- 
gel ;"  and  their  amusing  confidence  in  their  resistless  prowess, 
up  to  the  very  moment  when  they  fled,  affrighted  before 
Jackson — their  great  commander  Pope,  for  once  not  bringing 
up  the  rear. 

One  of  the  few  pieces  of  light  literature  read  in  the  latter 
days  of  his  life,  by  General  Jackson,  was  an  article  in  a  num 
ber  of  the  CornhUl  Magazine,  styled  "  Campaigning  with 
General  Pope."  This  article  gave  the  experiences  of  a  rov 
ing  Englishman  from  Washington  to  Cedar  Run,  and  pre 
sented  a  curious  picture  of  the  state  of  things  at  the  moment. 
Some  of  these  incidents,  derived  from  various  sources,  will 
furnish,  as  we  have  said,  an  appropriate  introduction  to  the 
battle  of  Cedar  Run,  in  which  the  outrages  perpetrated  upon 
the  defenceless  inhabitants  were  fully  avenged. 

General  Pope,  the  willing  instrument  of  the  brutal  party 
now  in  the  ascendant,  was  tall  of  stature,  vulgar  in  feature, 
and  full  of  "brag  and  bluster."  He  had  secured  his  com 
mand  by  boasting  and  braggadocia — by  the  declaration,  that 
he  "  had  seen  nothing  of  his  enemies  but  their  backs ;"  and 
he  now  prepared  to  sustain  himself  by  still  more  magnificent 
rodomontades. 


138  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

He  knew  the  character  of  his  countrymen,  and  arrived  at 
his  headquarters  in  a  special  car,  decked  out  with  flags  anc 
streamers,  floating  in  the  wind.  He  then  proceeded  to  per 
his  "  order  "  to  the  army. 

"  I  desire  you  to  dismiss  from  your  minds  certain  phrases, 
which  I  am  sorry  to  find  much  in  vogue  among  you.  I  hear 
constantly  of  taking  strong  positions  and  holding  them  :  o:' 
lines  of  retreat,  and  bases  of  supplies.  Let  us  discard  sucl 
ideas.  The  strongest  position  which  a  soldiea  should  desire, 
to  occupy,  is  the  one  from  which  he  can  most  easily  advance 
upon  the  enemy.  Let  us  study  the  probable  line  of  retrea , 
of  our  opponents,  and  leave  our  own  to  take  care  of  itself. 
Let  us  look  before  and  not  behind.  Disaster  and  shame  lurk 
in  the  rear." 

Such  was  the  order  issued  by  General  Pope  on  taking  com 
mand,  and  the  last  sentence  had  something  prophetic  in  it. 
"  Disaster  and  shame  lurked  in  his  rear"  as  he  advanced,  and 
as  he  fled.  His  next  order  was,  that  all  disloyal  male  citizens 
should  be  immediately  arrested ;  the  oath  of  allegiance,  offered 
them ;  and  if  they  took  it,  and  "  furnished  sufficient  security 
for  its  observance,"  they  should  be  released.  If  they  refused 
it,  they  should  be  sent  beyond  the  extreme  pickets,  and  if 
found  again  within  his  lines  treated  as  spies — that  is,  shot. 
"  If  any  person  having  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  as  above; 
specified,  be  found  to  have  violated  it,  he  shall  be  shot,  ana 
his  property  seized  and  applied  to  the  public  use."  Lastly, 
"  all  communication  with  any  person  whatever  living  within 
the  lines  of  the  enemy "  was  prohibited ;  "  any  person  con 
cerned  in  writing,  or  in  carrying  letters  or  messages,  will  be 
considered  and  treated  as  a  spy"  Such  was  the  infamous 
"  Expatriation  Order  "  which  General  Pope  fulminated  at  the 
peaceful  inhabitants  of  Culpepper.  It  was  followed  by  an 
other  more  execrable  still,  issued  by  Steinwehr,  one  of  Pope's 
subordinates,  to  the  effect  that  the  prominent  citizens  in  every 
district  should  be  arrested,  and  held  as  hostages  for  the  good 
behavior  of  the  population.  If  any  of  the  Federal  troops 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  139 

were  "  bushwhacked" — that  is,  shot  by  guerillas  or  irregular 
troops,  the  citizens  should  suffer  death. 

It  is  obvious  to  what  all  this  tended — complete  subjugation 
of  the  people,  soul  and  body.  But  it  ludicrously  failed. 
Pope  has  only  the  historic  infamy  of  his  atrocious  "  orders" — 
they  utterly  failed  to  attain  their  purpose.  The  brave  wom 
en  and  children  of  Cul pepper  laughed  at  him  :  the  old  men 
swore  at  him  to  his  face ;  and  the  great  Yankee  Bombastes 
Furioso,  by  the  enormities  which  he  committed,  only  hastened 
the  steps  of  the  inexorable  fate  which  approached  in  the  form 
of  Jackson. 

A  few  details  of  the  manner  in  which  searches  and  "  sub 
sisting  on  the  country"  wrere  accomplished  will  appropriately 
introduce,  as  we  have  said,  the  great  events  which  followed. 

We  present  these  details  just  as  they  were  given  by  eye-wit 
nesses  of  both  parties;  and  leave  the  reader  to  make-  his  own 
comments. 

A  gentleman  of  Culpepper  writes  : 

"One  peculiarity  in  the  army  of  the  'greatest  of  our  gen 
erals]  ought  to  be  recorded  as  a  matter- of  some  possible  in 
terest  in  the  future.  There  were  two  regiments,  forming  a 
corps  of  lictors  and  executioners,  who  usually  went  in  ad 
vance — yet  in  different  squads — for  the  purpose  of  gather 
ing  the  first  spoils,  and  of  striking  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  They  were  stated  (by  their  comrades  of  a  more  de 
cent  complexion)  to  consist  almost  exclusively  of  public  male 
factors  (the  only  exceptions  being  young  men  who  were  in 
duced  to  take  commissions),  selected  and  hunted  up  amongst 
all  the  most  notorious  dens  of  infamy  and  crime  in  the  United 
•States. 


"  An  elderly  gentleman  wa^sitting  in  his  porch,  and  of  a 
sudden  a  large  body  of  cavalry  galloped  up  into  his  yard  and 
surrounded  his  house.  The  officer  who  had,  as  a  rider  or  of 
ficer,  the  appearance  of  an  overgrown  cobbler  or  weaver,  dis 
mounted  and  entered  his  porch.  The  gentleman  rose  and  ad 
dressed  him  :  '  Will  you  take  a  seat,  sir  ?'  *  No,  sir,'  said 


140  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

the  colonel ;  *  I  have  come  to  make  a  search  of  this  house.' 
Gentleman — *  Well,  sir,  I  hope  you  will  make  a  thorough  ex 
amination,  and  I  will  assist  you,  with  a  hope  that  I  may  be 
spared  any  future  visitations  of  this  sort.'  (Calling  to  a  ser 
vant.)  *  Boy,  bring  me  all  the  keys  of  the  house.'  He  pro 
ceeded,  followed  by  the  colonel.  /  We  will  first  explore  this 
room ;  it  is  the  parlor ;  there,  sir,  are  some  presses.'  Colo 
nel — '  What's  in  them,  sir  ?'  Gentleman — *  Books,  sir,  I  be 
lieve,  exclusively ;  but  I  desire  that  you  examine  them  all 
for  yourself,'  at  the  same  time  throwing  open  the  upper  part. 
All  were  books.  Yankee — "  There's  a  lower  part.  What's 
in  that  ?'  *  Open  it,  sir,  and  look  for  yourself.'  All  books 
again.  Yankee — '  There's  a  box,  sir.  What's  in  that  f 
*  I  think,  sir,  it's  a  box  packed  by  my  family ;  but  I  desire 
you  to  make  a  thorough  exploration  of  it.  I  will  open  it  if  I 
can  find  the  key.'  The  box  was  opened,  in  dived  the  Yankee 
colonel,  and  stirred .  and  rummaged  every  thing  inside  ;  but 
finding  nothing  but  towels,  baby  clothes,  and  such  trumpery, 
he  emerged,  to  pursue  his  search  elsewhere ;  and  as  he  did 
so  he  saw  the  hilt  of  a  sword  of  the  last  century,  so  hanging 
as  for  the  blade  to  be  hidden  by  one  of  the  presses.  He  was 
immediately  animated  with  the  idea  that  he  had  probably 
made  an  important  capture.  '  Why,  sir,'  said  he,  4  here's  a 
sword  ;  what's  that  doing  there  ?' — at  the  same  time  taking 
it  down.  Gentleman — drawing  himself  up  to  his  full  height, 
and  looking  with  a  most  withering  scorn  upon  the  low-bred 
brute,  replied  calmly  and  deliberately — *  Yes,  sir,  that  is  a 
sword.  It  has  a  little  story  which  gives  it  a  value  in  my  eyes. 
It  would  be  of  very  little  use  to  the  Federal  army.  It  was 
buckled  on  by  a  young  officer,  who  was  in  the  first  company 
formed  in  the  State  of  Virginia  for  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 
He  fought  with  it  in  the  first  battle  South,  and  afterwards  at 
Yorktown.  He  was  never  absent  from  the  army  during  the 
entire  Revolution.  He  fought  with  it  at  Saratoga,  and  Tren 
ton,  and  Monmouth,  and  Germantown,  and  Brandywine,  and_ 
on  many  other  fields.  He  returned  home  aud  continued  a 
warm  friend  of  Washington,  and  well  known  to  Washington. 
He  lived  for  a  great  number  of  years  the  intimate  friend  of 
John  Marshall,  who  was  also  Tiis  companion  in  arms  ;  and 
when  he  died  he  left  me  that  sword.  That  portrait  hanging 
near  is  his,  and  I  am  his  son !  The  gentleman  was  Daniel  F. 
Slaughter — perhaps  as  generally,  certainly  as  favorably  known 
as  any  man  in  the  State  of  Virginia.'  " 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

The  same  gentleman  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
treatment  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  George,  near  Culpepper  Court 
house.  This  clergyman,  on  the  appearance  of  the  enemy,  ap 
plied  for  a  guard,  which  was  furnished,  in  the  person  of  one 
soldier.  Mr.  George  then  says : 

**  '  But  before  the  guard  arrived  some  twenty  or  more  men 
collected  in  the  garden  and  yard,  went  at  once  to  work  in 
destroying  my  bees,  broke  into  my  study  through  the  back 
window,  broke  open  my  desks  and  a  trunk,  stealing  a  variety 
of  things,  and  tumbled  all  my  papers  into  confusion  and  dis 
order.7  The  guard  that  came  first,  Mr.  George  said,  seemed 
to  try  to  protect  him,  but  it  was  impossible.  '  The  work  of 
housebreaking  and  plundering  proceeded  until  nearly  every 
locked  place  on  my  plantation  had  been  forcibly  entered — not 
excepting  the  basement  rooms  of  my  dwelling-house — some  of 
them  several  times.' 

"  His  crop  of  wheat  was  wasted  or  taken  off,  his  corn-house 
repeatedly  broken  open  and  the  corn  carried  off,  spring-house 
broken  open,  every  thing,  such  as  vessels,  &c.,  stolen  and  taken 
away.  Then  came  fresh  regiments,  28th  New  York  and  46th 
Pennsylvania.  Depredations  proceeded.  'My  study  was 
again  broken  open,  and  robbery  was  the  order  of  the  day. 
General  Crawford  soon  after  came  and  established  his  head 
quarters  in  my  yard,  and  although  he  continued  the  guard 
granted  by  Colonel  Donelly,  and  appointed  others,  it 
seemed  impossible  to  arrest  the  work  of  housebreaking  and 
plunder,  which  was  increased  by  the  well-known  order  of 
General  Pope.' 

***** 

" '  Gen.  Pope  and  his  staff  arrived,  and  my  yard  became  his 
headquarters  also.  No  sooner  had  his  train  arrived  than  my 
garden  inclosure,  in  different  places,  was  thrown  down,  a 
blacksmith  shop  set  up  in  the  garden,  and  various  horses 
tethered  in  it  also.  *  *  *  Almost  all  the  fencing 
on  my  plantation  was  now  burnt  up.  *  *  *  j  a(}_ 
dressed  a  note  to  Gen.  Crawford's  A.  A.  G.  upon  the  subject, 
and  the  next  day  received  a  verbal  reply  to  the  effect,  that  al 
though  sorry  for  me,  they  could  do  nothing  for  my  relief]  and 
that  I  had  better  prepare  to  submit  to  my  fate. 

"  '  During  the  time  of  their  occupancy  of  my  premises,  my 
beautiful  farm  was  laid  waste,  the  meadow,  which  would  have 
yielded  not  less  than  fifty  tons  of  hay,  a  clover  field,  which 


142  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

would  have  produced  as  much  more,  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  fine  sod  land,  two  thousand  bushels  of  wheat,  forty 
bushels  of  oats,  not  less  than  fifty  barrels  of  corn,  the  field  of 
growing  corn,  from  which  I  expected  a  yield  of  four  hundred 
barrels,  almost  destroyed  by  government  men  and  horses  ; 
every  gate  on  my  farm  cut  up  or  broken,  carriage  curtains 
torn  off,  and  much  of  the  carriage  houses  and  doors  burnt  up, 
fifteen  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  horses  and  colts,  one  hundred 
dollars'  worth  of  cattle,  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars'  worth  oi 
sheep,  one  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  hogs,  together  with  my 
saddles  and  bridles,  wagon  harness,  &c.  *  *  * 

In  consideration  for  which,  I  have,  up  to  this  time,  a  quarter 
master's  receipt  for  five  or  six  barrels  of  corn  and  twelve  tons 
of  hay.  I  became  acquainted  with  a 

number  of  privates,  who  seemed  to  understand  that  citizens 
here  had  rights  that  ought  to  be  respected.  But  the  great 
body  of  them,  as  they  appeared  to  me,  delighted  in  that  in 
terpretation  of  Gen.  Pope's  order,  which  gives  a  license  for 
robbing  all. who  may  belong  to  "  Secesh  Land."  I  know  not 
how  often  bitter  curses  were  heaped  upon  me,  my  life  and 
the  destruction  of  my  property  threatened  for  kindly  remon 
strating  against  their  robbery.  In  some  instances,  when 
asked  if  they  had  authority  from  a  quartermaster  or  commis 
sioned  officer  to  appropriate  my  property  to  their  uses,  they 
referred  me  to  Gen.  Pope.  I  may  mention,  that  within  so 
many  weeks  my  study  was  five  times  broken  open,  and  my 
corn  house  and  barn  not  less  than  one  dozen  times,  each. 
This  brief  review  sickens  me.  I  feel  thankful  to  officers  and 
men  who  showed  me  kindness,  and  refer  the  cases  of  those  of 
a  contrary  character  to  the  decision  of  him  who  judgeth 
righteously.' " 

From  the  same  series  of  records  we  take  the  following  de 
scription  of  the  Northern  soldiers  : 

"  Of  the  rank  and  file  I  know  but  little.  Some  companies 
seemed  to  be  of  a  decent  agricultural  or  mechanical  complex 
ion  ;  but  by  far  the  greater  part  were  the  most  unsavory-look 
ing  wretches  I  ever  beheld.  The  Irish  were  the  next  best ; 
then  came  the  genuine  Dutch,  about  as  cleanly  and  intellec 
tual  as  the  overgrown  sows  of  '  der  Vaterland.'  Meeting  a 
greasy-looking  beast  of  that  brood,  I  asked  him,  '  What  do 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  143 

you  want  here  ?  Are  you  fighting  for  Fraternity  and  Union  V 
Perfectly  incapable  of  comprehending  me,  he  drawled  out, 
'Yah!  Vat  you  mean  P  I  repeated  the  question  in  an  ex 
planatory  way,  but  in  vain.  As  I  turned  from  him,  he  said : 
4  Ve  vites  mit  Ziegel  /'  Next  came  the  selected  assassins  and 
thieves,  who  were  probably  received  upon  certificates  of  their 
actual  convictions  and  service  in  the  penitentiaries.  And  last, 
and  worst  of  all,  the  Puritans  and  psalm-singers  of  pious  New 
England — their  care  to  look  after  the  little  niggers'  morals, 
and  to  attend  to  the  general  business  of  the  Underground 
Railroad.  These  are  the  people  who  have  been  sent  with  '  the 
greatest  of  our  generals,'  as  a  Northern  paper  calls  Major-gen 
eral  John  Pope — a  commander  suited  to  the  force,  a  force 
worthy  such  a  commander. 

"  When  the  celebrated  proclamation,  embodying  the  facts 
that  he  came  from  the  West,  never  looked  but  at  the  backs  of  the 
enemy,  and  had  established  his  headquarters  in  his  saddle,  was 
published,  he  was  not  yet  in  the  field  !  It  was  from  his  arriv 
al,  or  a  few  days  afterwards,  that  I  propose  to  take  him  up,  and 
to  proceed  to  recount  his  deeds  and  record  his  end." 

The  most  detailed  accounts  of  the  depredation  of  Pope's 
troops  are,  however,  derived  from  the  enemy  themselves.  So 
shocking  were  these  permitted,  if  not  ordered  transgressions 
of  all  the  laws  of  decency  and  common  honesty,  that  even 
some  of  their  own  men  had  the  grace  to  exclaim  against  them, 
and  demand,  for  the  honor  of  their  people,  that  these  enormi 
ties  should  be  checked. 

One  of  these  Federal  correspondents  from  the  army  writes  : 

"  A  great  evil  exists  to  a  great  extent  in  the  array  of  Vir 
ginia.  I  allude  to  the  practice  of  procuring  (through  itin 
erant  traders  and  city  hucksters)  every  "denomination  of 
spurious  paper  and  broken  bank-notes,  as  well  as  fac-simile 
notes  of  the  Confederacy,  and  passing  them  indiscriminately 
upon  the  unsuspecting  inhabitants,  poor  as  well  as  rich,  old 
and  young,  male  and  female.  Your  correspondent  is  cogni 
zant  of  several  instances  where  this  has  been  perpetrated,  in 
return  for  kind  nursing  by  poor  aged  women.  Unless  this  sys 
tem  is  checked,  will  not  the  whole  country  be  overrun  by  the 
hordes  of  counterfeiters  and  swindlers  on  the  close  of  the 
war? 


144:  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

"  The  country  is  flooded  with  bogus  Secesh  money ;  it  is 
impossible,  in  many  cases,  to  tell  the  good  from  the  bad.  Wo 
went  into  a  small  store  at  '  Orleans  '  one  day,  where  they  were, 
selling  '  fip  calico '  at  thirty-five  cents  per  yard,  and  the  whole 
contents  of  the  store  you  could  carry  in  a  bushel  basket,  anc 
found  the  proprietor  was  taking  all  the  paper  offered.  Or 
looking  over  his  '  pile,'  we  found  four  different  kinds  of  Rich 
mond  ones,  and  two  of  fives.  Many  were  the  most  worthless 
imitations.  He  was  very  indignant  at  'Banks's  men,'  whon 
he  alleges  passed  it  upon  him. 

"  Meeting  an  aged  contraband  this  morning,  who  had  beer 
into  camp  selling  eggs,  butter,  &c.,  we  found  he  had  *  pay  for 
massa'  in  Secesh  paper,  nearly  all  bogus.  He  said  he  did  noi, 
care  what  kind  it  was ;  he  took  whatever  was  offered." 

Another,  writing  from  Culpepper  Court-house,  draws  the, 
full-length  picture  as  follows : 

"  The  army  of  Virginia  has  undergone  a  marked  change, 
in  a  very  important  particular.  The  new  usage  which  has 
been  instituted  in  regard  to  the  protection  of  Confederate 
property,  and  the  purpose  of  the  Government  to  subsist  the 
army,  as  far  as  practicable,  upon  the  enemy's  country,  has 
produced  a  decided  revolution  in  the  feelings  and  practices  o ' 
the  soldiery,  and  one  which  seems  to  me  very  much  to  be 
regretted. 

u  Unless  these  innovations  are  guarded  by  far  more  strin 
gent  safeguards  against  irregular  and  unauthorized  plunder 
ing,  we  shall  let  loose  upon  the  country,  at  the  close  of  the 
war,  a  torrent  of  unbridled  and  unscrupulous  robbers.  Rapid 
strides  toward  villany  have  been  made  during  the  last  few 
weeks.  Men  who  at  home  would  have  shuddered  at  the  sug 
gestion  of  touching  another's  property,  now  appropriate  re 
morselessly  whatever  comes  in  their  reach.  Thieving,  they 
imagine,  has  now  become  an  authorized  practice,  and  under 
the  show  of  subsisting  themselves,  chickens,  turkeys,  hams, 
and  corn  have  become  a  lawful  plunder,  with  little  discrimi 
nation  as  to  the  character  or  circumstances  of  the  original 
owner. 

"  It  is  to  me  a  very  serious  and  unfortunate  state  of  facts, 
when  soldiers  will  rush  in  crowds  upon  the  smoke-house  of  a 
farmer,  and  each  quarrel  with  the  other  to  get  the  best  and 
greatest  share.  I  blush  when  I  state  that  on  the  march 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

through  a  section  of  country,  every  spring-house  is  broken 
open,  and  butter,  milk,  eggs,  and  cream  are  engulfed,  almost 
before  the  place  is  reached  by  the  men.  Calves  and  sheep, 
and,  in  fact,  any  thing  and  every  thing  serviceable  for  meat,  or 
drink,  or  apparel,  are  not  safe  a  moment  after  the  approach  of 
the  army.  Even  things  apparently  useless  are  snatched  up, 
because,  it  would  seem,  many  men  love  to  steal. 

*' At  a  place  where  I  not  long  ago  spent  a  night,  scarcely 
an  article  to  which  the  fertility  of  a  soldier  could  suggest  the 
slightest  use  remained  to  the  owner  upon  the  following  morn 
ing.  There  had  been  soldiers  there,  you  might  wager.  Pans, 
kettles,  dish-cloths,  pork,  poultry,  provisions,  and  every  thing 
desirable,  had  disappeared.  The  place  was  stripped,  and  with 
out  any  process  of  commissary  or  quartermaster.  So  it  has 
been  in  innumerable  instances.  Many  a  family,  incapable 
of  sustaining  the  slightest  loss,  has  actually  been  deprived 
of  all. 

"I  not  long  ago  saw  a  dozen  soldiers  rushing  headlong 
through  a  field,  each  anxious  to  get  the  first  choice  of  three 
horses  shading  themselves  quietly  under  a  tree.  The  animals 
made  their  best  time  into  the  farthest  corner  of  the  field, 
with  the  men  close  upon  them  ;  and  the  foremost  ones  caught 
their  prizes  and  bridled  them  as  if  they  had  a  perfect  immu 
nity  in  such  things.  A  scene  followed.  A  young  lady  came 
out,  and  besought  the  soldiers  not  to  take  her  favorite  pony. 
The  soldiers  were  remorseless  and  unyielding,  and  the  pony  is 
now  in  the  army. 

"  I  know  a  case  where  a  family  were  just  seating  themselves 
to  dinner,  when  some  of  the  soldiers  being  that  way,  they 
went  in  and  swallowed  every  thing.  That  was  not  all ;  but 
whatever  in  doors  and  out  of  doors  the  soldiers  wanted  was 
readily  appropriated,  and  the  proprietor  of  the  place  told  me 
sorrowfully  that  they  had  ruined  him — he  never  could  now 
get  out  of  debt.  I  hardly  regretted  his  misfortune  so  much 
on  his  account  as  for  the  influence  of  this  thieving  upon  the 
soldiers.  I  was  really  gratified  to  hear  his  little  boy  say, 
1  Pap  says  he  wouldn't  vote  the  secession  ticket  again  if  he 
had  the  chance.'  His  patriotism  was  evidently  drawing  too 
heavily  upon  his  fortunes,  and  I  was  rejoiced  to  find  him  in 
an  inquiring  state  of  mind.  But  unless  a  check  is  given  to 
this  promiscuous  and  unauthorized  plundering,  the  discipline 
and  value  of  the  army  will  be  destroyed ;  and  when  the  en- 

7 


146  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

listments  have  expired,  we  shall  let  loose   a  den   of  thieves 
upon  the  country. 

"One  favorite  form  in  which  this  will  exhibit  itself  is  the 
passing  of  Philadelphia  Confederate  notes.  Whenever  we 
advance  into  a  new  section,  the  floodgates  -are  immediately 
opened,  and  the  fac  simile  Confederate  notes  are  poured  ov.t 
upon  the  land.  They  pass  readily,  and  seem  to  be  taken 
gladly  for  whatever  is  held  for  sale.  Bank-notes  and  shii  - 
plasters  are  given  for  change.  Horses  and  other  valuable 
property  are  often  purchased  with  this  currency.  A  party  of 
soldiers  entered  a  store,  not  long  since,  fortified  with  exhaust- 
less  quantities  of  V's  and  X's,  and  commenced  buying.  Forty 
pounds  of  sugar  was  first  ordered,  when  the  storekeeper 
pleased  with  the  sudden  increase  of  business,  called  in  h  s 
wife  to  assist  him  in  putting  up  the  sugar  in  small  parcels. 
Seventy-five  cents  a  pound  was  the  cost.  That  was  a  small 
matter.  Matches  were  purchased.  Twenty-five  cents  per 
box  was  the  charge.  Tobacco  also  found  a  ready  market. 
Each  man  provided  himself  with  a  straw  hat.  But  the  crown 
ing  act  of  all  was  the  abstraction  from  the  till  of  money  al 
ready  paid  to  the  dealer  for  his  goods,  and  the  purchase  of 
more  goods  with  the  same  spurious  medium." 


•'Such  were  the  outrages  practised  on  the  unarmed  inhali- 
tants  of  Culpepper  by  this  band  of  brigands — this  motky 
crew  of  jail-birds,  malefactors,  released  convicts,  and  Dutch- 
Yankee  vermin,  from  the  cellars  and  rookeries  of  Europe 
and  the  North.  Their  unbridled  license  was  known  and  per 
mitted  by  Pope ;  and  though  he  subsequently  issued  an  order 
declaring  that  such  proceedings  were  unauthorized,  and  must 
cease,  he  only  did  so,  when  even  the  Northern  people — ven 
omous  as  was  their  hatred  of  the  rebels — began  to  murmur  at 
such  incredible  villanies. 

The  plague,  as  of  obscene  vermin,  had,  however,  been  lot 
loose,  and  had  done  its  work.  The  Federal  horde  had  passed 
over  the  land,  and  left  a  desert  behind  them.  The  fences 
had  disappeared ;  the  forests  were  felled;  the  farm  lands 
were  turned  into  common ;  and  so  thorough  had  been  tlie 
work  of  pillage  and  rapine  that  heads  of  families  began 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

seriously  to  dread  that  their  little  children  would  soon  be 
without  bread.  When  the  writer  of  these  lines  passed  through 
Culpepper  in  August,  a  few  days  after  Pope's  disappearance, 
it%was  as  much  as  he  could  do  to  procure  food  for  himself  and 
forage  for  his  horse. 

Pope  advanced  toward  the  Rapidan,  and  had,  as  yet,  en 
countered  no  foes.  His  right  extended  to  the  foot  of  the  Blue 
Ridge,  his  left  toward  the  confluence  of  the  Rappahannock 
and  Rapidan.  The  vast  horde  advanced,  sweeping  all  before 
it ;  and  the  people  of  the  North  hailed  with  noisy  triumph, 
the  successful  march,  to  this  central  position,  of  the  "  greatest 
of  our  generals." 

This  was  the  state  of  things  in  the  last  days  of  July ;  and 
Gen.  Pope  looked  with  longing  eyes  toward  Gordonsville, 
where  he  had  already,  in  fancy,  established  his  headquarters, 
and  whence  he  would  descend,  like  an  avalanche,  upon  the 
metropolis  of  the  South. 

Man  proposes ;  God  disposes.  That  destiny  which  would 
so  soon  crush  him  like  an  egg-shell,  in  an  iron  hand,  was  al 
ready  on  the  march. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

CEDAR   RUN. 

WHEN  Gen.  Pope  thus  advanced  toward  the  Rapidan,  se 
riously  threatening,  with  his  large  force,  the  Central  Railroad 
at  Gordonsville,  Gen.  McClellan  was  still  with  a  considerable 
portion  of  his  army  at  Harrison's  Landing,  and  professed  to 
design  another  attack  upon  Richmond.  It  was  thus  rendered 
necessary  for  the  Confederate  government  to  retain  a  sufficient 
number  of  troops  at  the  capital  to  repulse  any  movement 

•frrmi  tliat,  rlirppt.inn 


14:8  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

It  was  equally  important,  however,  to  check  Gen.  Pope; 
and  to  that  end,  Gen.  Jackson,  who  had  gone  into  camp  on 
the  Mechanicsville  road,  not  far  from  Richmond,  was  directed 
to  proceed  toward  Gordonsville,  and  guard  that  point  against 
the  threatened  assault  upon  it. 

His  own  "old  division,"  and  Gen.  EwelPs,  were  accord 
ingly  moved  in  that  direction,  and  reached  Gordonsville  0:1 
the  19th  of  July. 

Receiving  reliable  information  that  the  Federal  army  in  his 
front  greatly  outnumbered  his  own  forces,  Jackson  sent  back  t ) 
Gen.  Lee  for  additional  troops,  and  was  reinforced  by  Gen.  A. 
P.  Hill's  division. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  advanced  forces  of  cavalry,  o  i 
both  sides,  came  into  collision.  On  the  2d  of  August,  whilst 
Col.  Jones,  by  direction  of  Brig-gen.  Robertson,  was  moving 
with  the  7th  Virginia  cavalry,  to  take  charge  of  picket  posts 
on  the  Rapidan,  he  received  intelligence,  before  reaching 
Orange  Court-house,  that  the  enemy  were  in  possession  of 
that  town.  Continuing  to  advance,  Col.  Jones  found  'the  main 
street  full  of  Federal  cavalry,  and  charged  the  head  of  the 
enemy's  column — another  portion  of  the  regiment,  under 
Major  Marshall,  attacking  them  in  flank.  Both  attacks  were 
"successful,  and  the  enemy  were  driven  from  the  place.  But 
our  forces  were  still  greatly  outnumbered  ;  and,  in  conse 
quence  of  the  large  body  of  the  enemy  in  front,  together  with 
the  fire  of  their  flanking  parties,  Jones  was  compelled  to  fall 
back.  He  made  another  stand,  however,  not  far  from  the 
town,  and  the  Federal  cavalry  retired.  In  this  brief  contest 
Col.  Jones,  while  gallantly  charging,  at  the  head  of  his  men, 
received  a  sabre  wound,  and  Major  Marshall  was  captured. 

Having  received  information  that  only  a  portion  of  Gen. 
Pope's  army  was  at  Culpepper  Court-house,  Gen.  Jackson  de 
termined  to  advance  and  attack  it  before  reinforcements  ar 
rived  :  and  accordingly,  on  the  7th  of  August,  moved  with 
his  entire  force  from  Gordonsville  in  the  direction  of  the 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

enemy.  On  the  morning  of  the  8th,  Gen.  Robertson's  cavalry, 
which  had  advanced  beyond  the  Rapidan,  drove  back  that  of 
the  enemy,  and  pursued  them  on  the  road  leading  from  Barnett's 
Ford  to  Culpepper  Court-house,  the  rest  of  the  troops  follow 
ing,  with  Ewell's  division  in  front.  The  enemy's  cavalry  con 
tinued,  however,  to  display  unusual  activity,  and  to  guard  his 
trains,  which  were  seriously  endangered,  Jackson  detached 
Gen.  Lawton's  biigade,  which  was  thus  prevented  from  taking 
part  in  the  battle  of  the  next  day. 

On  the  9th  of  August,  Jackson  reached  a  point  about  eight 
miles  from  Culpepper  Court-house,  and  found  the  enemy 
posted  in  heavy  force,  in  his  front,  near  Cedar  Run,  and  a 
short  distance  west  and  north  of  Slaughter  Mountain.  A 
large  body  of  Federal  cavalry  occupied  a  ridge  on  the  right  of 
the  road,  but  retired  when  a  battery,  under  Lieut.  Terry,  opened 
upon  it.  The  fire  was  responded  to  by  a  battery  of  the  enemy 
beyond  the  ridge ;  and  his  cavalry  subsequently  returned,  and 
re  occupied  its  former  position. 

General  Early  was  now  ordered  to  advance,  keeping  near  the 
Culpepper  road ;  and  General  Ewell,  with  his  two  remaining 
brigades — Trimble's  and  Hays's,  the  latter  commanded  by 
Colonel  Ferns — was  directed  to  diverge  to  the  right,  and  pass 
along  the  slope  of  Slaughter's  Mountain.  Early,  forming  in 
line  of  battle,  moved  into  the  open  field,  and  pushed  forward 
to  the  right  of  the  road,  driving  the  enemy's  cavalry  before 
him  to  the  crest  of  a  hill  which  overlooked  the  ground  between 
his  troops  and  the  opposite  hill.  Along  this  hill  the  enemy's 
batteries  were  posted,  ready  to  open  as  soon  as  he  appeared. 
In  his  front  the  country  was,  for  some  distance,  open  and 
broken.  A  corn-field,  and  to  the  left  of  it  a  wheat-field,  upon 
which  the  shocks  were  yet  standing,  extended  to  the  opposite 
hill,  which  was  covered  with  timber.  As  soon  as  Early  reached 
the  eminence  described,  the  Federal  batteries  opened  upon 
him,  large  bodies  of  cavalry  appearing  in  the  wheat-field  to 
the  left.  Gen.  Early  having  retired  his  troops  under  the  pro- 


150  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

tection  of  the  hill,  Captain  Brown,  with  one  piece,  and  Captain 
Dement,  with  three  pieces,  planted  their  gnus  in  advance  of 
his  right,  and  opened  a  rapid  and  well-directed  fire  upon  th<j 
Federal  batteries. 

By  this  time  General  Winder,  with  Jackson's  division,  had 
arrived.  Having  disposed  Campbell's  brigade,  Lieut.-colonel 
Garnett  commanding,  to  the  left,  under  cover  of  the  wood  near 
the  wheat-field :  Taliaferro's  brigade  parallel  to  the  road,  in 
rear  of  the  batteries  of  Poague,  Carpenter,  and  Caskie,  then 
being  placed  near  the  road,  under,  the  direction  of  Major 
Andrews,  chief  of  artillery  of  the  division;  and  Winder's 
brigade,  Colonel  Ronald  commanding,  as  a  reserve — he  was 
proceeding  to  direct,  with  his  usual  skill  and  coolness,  tlu 
movements  of  those  batteries,  when  he  was  struck  by  a  shel  , 
from  which  he  expired  in  a  few  hours.  "  It  is  difficult,"  says 
General  Jackson,  "in  the  proper  reserve  of  an  official  report, 
to  do  justice  to  the  merits  of  this  accomplished  officer.  Urge  1 
by  the  Medical  Director  to  take  no  part  in  the  movements  ( f 
the  day,  because  of  the  then  enfeebled  state  of  his  health,  his 
ardent  patriotism  and  military  pride  could  bear  no  such  re 
straint.  Richly  endowed  with  those  qualities  of  mind  anl 
person  which  fit  an  officer  for  command,  and  which  attrai  t 
the  admiration  and  excite  the  enthusiasm  of  troops,  he  w.'is 
rapidly  rising  to  the  front  rank  of  his  profession.  His  loss  h<!« 
been  severely  felt."  The  command  of  Jackson's  division  now 
devolved  upon  Brig.-general  W.  B.  Taliaferro,  whose  brigade 
during  the  remainder  of  the  action  was  commanded  by  Colonel 
A.  G.  Taliaferro. 

In  the  mean  time,  General  Ewell,  with  the  brigades  of 
Trimble  and  Hays,  reached  the  northwest  termination  of 
Slaughter's  Mountain,  and  upon  an  elevated  spot  about  two 
hundred  feet  above  the  valley  below,  had  planted  Latimer's 
guns,  which  opened  with  marked  effect  upon  the  enemy's 
batteries.  For  some  two  hours  a  rapid  and  continuous  fire 
of  artillery  was  kept  up  on  both  sides,  our  own  batteries  being 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON.  151 

admirably  served,  and  damaging  the  enemy  seriously.  Ma 
jor  Andrews  handled  his  guns  with  great  gallantry  and  suc 
cess,  until  he  was  severely  wounded  and  taken  from  the  field. 
About  five  o'clock,  the  enemy  threw  forward  his  skirmishers 
through  the  corn-field,  and  advanced  his  infantry,  until  then 
concealed  in  the  wood,  to  the  rear  and  left  of  his  batteries. 
Another  body  "of  infantry,  apparently  debouching  from  one  of 
those  valleys,  hidden  from  view  by  the  undulating  character 
of  the  country,  moved  at  the  same  time  upon  Early's  right, 
which  rested  near  a  clump  of  cedars,  where  the  guns  of 
Brown  and  Dement  were  posted.  The  infantry  fight  soon 
extended  to  the  left  and  centre,  Early  being  warmly  engaged 
with  the  enemy  on  his  right  and  front.  As  Gen.  Hill  had 
arrived  with  his  division,  one  of  his  brigades,  Gen.  Thomas', 
was  sent  to  Early,  and  joined  him  in  time  to  render  efficient 
service. 

Whilst  the  attack  upon  Early  was  in  progress,  the  main 
body  of  the  Federal  infantry  moved  down  from  the  wood, 
through  the  corn  and  wheat  fields,  fell  with  great  vigor  upon 
our  extreme  left,  and,  by  the  force  of  superior  numbers,  bear 
ing  down  all  opposition,  turned  it,  and  poured  a  destructive 
fire  into  its  rear.  The  enemy  pushing  forward,  and  the  left 
flank  of  Taliaferro's  brigade  being,  by  these  movements,  ex 
posed  to  a  flank  fire,  fell  back,  as  did  also  the  left  of  Early's 
line,  the  remainder  of  his  command  holding  its  position  with 
great  firmness. 

During  the  advance  of  the  enemy,  the  rear  of  the  guns  of 
Jackson's  division  becoming  exposed,  they  were  withdrawn. 
At  this  critical  moment,  Branch's  brigade  of  Hill's  division, 
with  Winder's  brigade  further  to  the  left,  met  the  Federal 
forces  flushed  with  their  temporary  triumph,  and  drove  them 
back  with  terrible  slaughter  through  the  woods.  The  fight 
was  still  maintained  with  obstinacy  between  the  enemy  and 
the  two  brigades  just  named,  when  Archer  and  Fender  coming 
up,  a  general  charge  was  made,  which  drove  the  enemy  across 


152  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

the  field  into  the  opposite  wood,  strewing  the  narrow  valle} 
with  their  dead.  To  retrieve  this  serious  disaster  they  li at. 
recourse  to  their  cavalry.  An  impetuous  charge  was  made 
upon  Taliaferro's  brigade ;  but  the  enemy  were  met  with  sucl 
determined  resistance  by  Taliaferro  in  front,  and  by  so  galling 
a  fire  from  Branch's  brigade  in  flank,  that  their  cavalry  was 
driven  from  the  field  in  disorder,  and  with  heavy  loss. 

On  the  right,  Ewell  had  been  forced  to  remain  inactive. 
The  incessant  fire  of  our  batteries  in  the  valley,  sweeping  his 
only  approach  to  the  enemy's  left,  had  prevented  him  Iron 
advancing.  This  difficulty  now  no  longer  existing,  he  movet 
forward  with  his  two  brigades,  Trimble  in  the  advance,  ant. 
pressed  on  under  a  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy's  artillery — his 
front  covered  by  skirmishers  from  the  15th  Alabama,  and  the 
brigades  advancing  in  echelon  of  regiments.  Thus  repulsec. 
from  our  left  and  centre,  and  now  pressed  by  our  right,  centre, 
and  left,  the  enemy  fell  back  at  every  point  of  his  line,  am. 
retreated,  leaving  his  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field  of  battle. 

The  bloody  contest  had  thus  terminated  in  the  complete 
rout  of  the  Federal  forces,  and  the  piles  of  dead  which  mo , 
the  eye  upon  every  hand,  bore  witness  to  the  fury  with  which 
the  conflict  had  raged.  Engaging  a  force  outnumbering  hint 
two  to  one,  with  heavy  reinforcements  hurrying  forward  t<> 
overwhelm  him,  Jackson  had  held  his  ground  with  that  stub 
born  nerve  which  had  never  yet  failed  to  compel  unwilling 
victory  to  his  standard.  The  enemy  had  fought  hard,  but  had 
fought  in  vain.  They  had  advanced  with  jests  and  triumphant 
laughter ;  with  the  assured  expectation  of  utterly  annihilating 
their  opponents;  with  "Booty  and  Beauty"  awaiting  them 
in  the  fresh  fields  of  Central  Virginia.  But  in  their  path  they 
had  found  the  inexorable  Stonewall.  Contact  with  that  fatal 
obstacle  had  shattered  them ;  and  at  nightfall  they  retreated, 
broken,  and  in  confusion,  through  the  woods  full  of  dead  and 
dying. 

As  night  fell,  the  full-orbed  moon  soared  aloft,  and  poured 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON.  153 

its  mellow  light  upon  the  field  of  carnage.  Jackson  had  again 
triumphed  over  his  enemies — the  boasted  power  of  Pope  was 
broken  in  his  grasp,  and  all  was  well. 

Over  the  beautiful  slopes  of  Culpepper  covered  with  the 
wounded  and  dying ;  the  battle-flag  of  the  South  floated 
proudly  in  the  light  of  the  calm  August  moon. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

DETAILS. 

THUS  commenced  the  great  movement  of  the  Confederate 
forces  northward,  which  drove  the  enemy  from  Virginia  and 
obliged  him  finally  to  concentrate  his  entire  available  strength 
in  Maryland  for  the  defence  of  his  own  sgil. 

In  the  midst  of  their  dreams  of  triumph  they  had  received 
a  staggering  blow ;  their  further  progress  was  summarily 
checked  ;  and  the  imposing  array  which  had  advanced  in  all 
the  pomp  and  pride  of  war,  was  a  disorderly  mob,  rather  than 
an  army,  flying  to  that  "  rear"  where  their  general  had  per 
petually  declared  "  lurked  disaster  and  shame." 

The  hand  which  struck  them  thus  heavily  was  Jackson's — 
that  ubiquitous  fate  of  Northern  leaders,  meeting  and  over 
throwing  them  at  every  turn.  Two  mouths  before  he  had 
defeated  Fremont  and  Shields  at  Port  Republic;  less  than 
three  weeks  afterwards  his  troops  had  suddenly  appeared  near 
Richmond,  and  hurling  themselves  upon  McClellan's  right, 
decided  the  event  of  the  hard-fought  field  of  Cold  Harbor. 
Now,  those  same  unresisting  men,  under  the  same  indefatigable 
commander,  had  emerged  from  the  woods  of  Culpepper  and 
formed  line-of  battle  in  front  of  Pope,  and  struck  and  over 
threw  him. 

Nothing  could  have  astonished  the  enemy  more  than  the 


154:  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

presence,  there,  of  the  invincible,  mysterious  "Stonewall 
Jackson,"  as  they  universally  called  him.  But  a  short  time 
before  the  battle  he  was  supposed  by  the  enemy  to  be  rapidly 
advancing  down  the  Valley  upon  Winchester.  The  Federal 
camps  there  were  in  tumult;  the  drums  beat  to  arms;  and 
the  affrighted  enemy,  we  are  told  by  one  of  their  own  writers, 
reminded  each  other  of  the  brief  blunt  words  of  Jackson  when 
he  fell  back  last,  that  "  he  would  return  again  shortly,  and  a; 
certainly  as  now." 

While  the  enemy  at  Winchester  were  thus  beating  the  lorn; 
roll  in  expectation  of  his  coming,  he  was  near  Gordonsville  ; 
before  their  fears  had  subsided,  he  had  passed  the  Rapidan, 
and  defeated  -the  "greatest  of  our  generals."  The  Northern 
people  began  to  experience  toward  Jackson  the  sentiment  of 
the  Scottish  mothers  of  the  middle  age,  when  they  quieted 
their  crying  children  with  the  threat,  "Hush!  or  the  Black 
Douglas  will  get  you !" 

It  is  more  than  probable  that  General  Pope  and  his  follow 
ers  shared  this  feeling.  When  the  guns  began  to  roar  a: 
Cedar  Run,  the  "greatest  of  our  generals"  penned  a  dispatch 
in  which  he  announced  the  fact,  and  concluded  with  the  an 
nouncement — "  I  go  to  the  front  to  see."  But  he  never  reached 
it.  He  passed  through  Culpepper  Court-house,  the  citizens 
assert,  with  the  haughty  bearing  of  one  who  had  never  expe 
rienced  the  emotion  of  fear,  and  had  no  doubt  of  the  result ; 
but  he  stopped  before  reaching  the  battle-field.  He  allowed 
his  troops  to  be  defeated  within  sight  of  him ;  and  made  no 
attempt  to  rally  them.  He  saw  them  rushing  in  a  disordered 
crowd  toward  the  Rappahannock,  and  did  not  interpose  in 
their  path.  These  facts  are  completely  established ;  and  this 
general,  like  his  predecessors,  seemed  to  have  come  under  the 
spell  of  Jackson ;  to  lose  all  his  brain  and  courage  when 
brought  in  contact  with  that  "avenging  Nemesis"  of  the  South. 

The  battle  of  Cedar  Run  was  planned  and  executed  with 
that  skill  and  nerve  which  characterized  all  the  military 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  155 

movements  of  General  Jackson.  He  had  opposed  to  him, 
according  to  Pope's  official  report,  Banks  and  Siegel's  corps, 
and  a  division  from  that  of  McDowell,  amounting  in  all  to 
32,000  troops.  To  meet  these  32,000  men,  fresh,  thoroughly 
equipped,  and  flushed  with  anticipated  triumph,  he  had  only 
two  divisions,  and  a  portion  of  a  third.  These  statements 
are  made  from  official  papers. 

The  conflict,  which  resulted  in  a  Confederate  victory 
against  such  great  odds,  was  hard  and  desperate.  At  one 
period  of  the  battle,  a  portion  of  the  Southern  troops  were 
pressed  by  numbers  so  overwhelming  that  they  were  forced 
back,  thrown  into  disorder,  and  the  day  seemed  about  to  be 
decided  in  favor  of  the  Federals.  It  was  at  this  moment  that 
Jackson,  ordinarily  so  cool,  silent,  and  deliberate,  was  mas 
tered  by  the  genius  of  battle — and  exhibited,  as  he  had  rare 
ly  done,  before  that  gaudium  certaminis,  and  passionate  ex 
citement  which  Murat  displayed  in  his  cavalry  charges.  Gal 
loping  to  the  front,  amid  the  "  fire  of  hell"  hurled  against  his 
broken  and  disordered  lines,  now  rapidly  giving  way  before  the 
onset  of  the  enemy,  with  his  eyes  flashing  fire,  his  face 
flushed,  his  voice  rising  to  loud  and  strident  tones,  he  rallied 
the  confused  troops,  and  brought  them  again  into  line.  Hav 
ing  thus  re-formed  them  under  the  terrible  fire  of  the  foe,  he 
did  not  lose  a  moment,  and  gave  his  stern  order  to  charge 
with  the  bayonet."  His  presence ;  the  magic  of  his  eye,  and 
voice ;  the  sight  of  their  great  leader  in  the  front,  cheering 
them  on,  produced  an  irresistible  effect  upon  the  men.  They 
advanced  with  shouts  which  struck  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the 
foe ;  the  ground  which  they  had  lost  was  regained ;  and  the 
enemy,  in  their  turn,  driven  back,  and  finally  put  to  rout. 

Those  who  saw  Jackson,  at  the  moment  when  he  passed 
like  a  thunderbolt  to  the  front,  and  thus  rallied  his  men,  in 
the  very  jaws  of  destruction,  declare  that  he  resembled  the 
genius  of  battle  incarnate. 

The  conflict  continued,  as  we  have  seen,  until  night.     The 


156  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON. 

Southern  troops  were  greatly  exhausted  by  the  arduous  strug 
gle,  and  the  hours  of  darkness  were  not  propitious  for  a  for 
ward  movement :  but  so  anxious  was  Jackson  to  reach  the 
enemy's  stronghold  at  Culpepper  Court-house  before  morning 
that  he  determined  to  pursue.  An  advance  was  accordingly 
ordered,  Hill's  division  in  front;  and  after  proceeding  cau 
tiously  for  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  they  came  on  the  enemy. 
Pegram's  battery,  supported  by  Fields'  brigade,  took  position 
just  beyond  the  wood,  through  which  Jackson  had  passed, 
and  suddenly  opened  upon  the  enemy  before  they  suspected 
its  presence.  The  result  was  gratifying.  The  Federal  forces 
were  thrown  into  complete  confusion  and  scattered  in  every 
direction,  to  escape  the  shell  rained  down  on  them.  A  des 
perate  effort  was  made  to  cover  their  further  retreat,  however, 
and  it  proved  successful.  Three  of  their  batteries  were  soon 
worked  into  position ;  a  heavy  cannonade  commenced  ;  arid 
although  the  single  battery  of  the  Confederates  fought  the 
three  opposed  to  it  with  unflinching  nerve,  it  was  finally 
silenced  and  forced  to  retire  with  severe  loss. 

This  terminated  the  fighting  for  that  day.  Colonel  Jones 
having  made  a  reconnoissance  with  his  cavalry,  in  front  and 
to  the  right  of  the  Confederate  lines,  and  ascertained  that 
Federal  reinforcements  had  arrived,  Jackson  considered  it 
imprudent  to  continue  to  move  forward  during  the  darkness, 
and  ordered  a  halt  for  the  night.  On  the  following  morning, 
the  10th,  having  reason  to  believe  that  the  Federal  army  had 
been  so  largely  reinforced  as  to  render  it  uuadvisable  to 
attempt  a  further  advance,  Jackson  gave  directions  for  his 
wounded  to  be  sent  to  the  rear,  the  dead  to  be  buried,  and 
for  the  collection  of  arms  from  the  battle-field.  In  the  course 
of  the  morning,  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  arrived,  on  a  tour  of 
inspection,  and  at  Jackson's  request  took  command  of  the 
cavalry,  and  proceeded  to  reconnoitre.  Convinced  by  the  re 
port  of  General  Stuart,  and  information  derived  from  other 
bources,  that  the  enemy's  force  concentrated  in  his  front 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  157 

was  so  heavy  as  to  render  it  unwise  for  him  to  renew  the 
action,  General  Jackson  determined  not  to  advance  upon  them 
— but  posted  his  troops  in  such  a  manner  as  to  receive  any 
attack  of  the  enemy.  On  the  llth,  a  flag  of  truce  was  re 
ceived  from  the  Federal  commander,  who  requested  permission 
until  2  o'clock  to  remove  and  bury  his  dead,  not  already  in 
terred  by  our  troops.  This  was  granted  ;  and  the  time  subse 
quently  extended,  by  request  of  the  enemy,  to  5  o'clock  in  the 
evening. 

Jackson  remained  in  position  until  night — August  llth — 
when  he  fell  back  toward  Gordonsville,  with  the  hope  of  draw 
ing  Pope  on,  procuring  reinforcements,  and  meeting  the  Vast 
columns  of  the  enemy  upon  more  equal  terms. 

Jackson  had  thus  encountered  and  defeated  a  greatly  su 
perior  force  of  the  enemy  ;  driven  them  nearly  two  miles ;  re 
mained  in  possession  of  the  battle-field,  forcing  them  to  ask 
permission  to  bury  their  dead,  and,  only  when  they  received 
overpowering  reinforcements,  fallen  back.  He  had  captured 
400  prisoners,  among  them  a  brigadier-general,  5,302  small- 
arms,  one  Napoleon  gun  and  caisson,  with  two  other  caissons 
and  a  limber,  and  three  stands  of  colors.  His  loss  was  223 
killed  and  1,060  wounded  ;  but  this  he  said,  in  his  guarded 
phrase,  was  only  "  probably  about  one-half  of  that  sustained  by 
the  enemy." 

The  victory  had  been  dearly  purchased.  Some  of  the  most 
valuable  officers  and  men  had  fallen;  among  the  former,  Gen. 
Charles  Winder  and  Col.  Richard  H.  Cunningham.  Gen. 
"Winder  had  long  been  in  command  of  the  "  Old  Stonewall 
Brigade,"  and  had  fought  it  with  a  skill  and  courage  which 
extorted  the  warmest  commendation  from  Jackson.  Colonel 
Cunningham,  commanding  the  21st  Virginia,  had  proved 
himself  a  most  accomplished  soldier,  and  enjoyed  the  full 
confidence  of  his  superiors  and  his  men.  These  two  noble 
soldiers  were,  at  the  time,  prostrated  by  sickness,  and  on 
the  night  before  the  battle  occupied  the  same  tent.  Their 


158  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL,  JACKSON. 

physical  weakness  would  have  simply  excused  them  for  re 
maining  absent  from  their  commands ;  but  the  high  soldierl} 
pride  which  animated  their  hearts  would  not  permit  them  tc 
be  idle  lookers-on,  while  their  comrades  were  contending  so 
desperately  against  the  heavy  columns  of  the  enemy.  The} 
took  command  of  their  troops  in  the  battle,  gave  their  smal 
remaining  strength  to  the  cause  which  they  loved  so  deeply,  and 
fell,  at  the  post  of  honor,  noble  martyrs  in  the  great  cause  o:' 
Southern  independence. 

Jackson  fell  back  behind  the  Rapidan,  and  on  the  14th  o:' 
August — "  to  render  thanks  to  God  for  the  victory  at  Cedar 
Run,  and  other  past  victories,  and  to  implore  his  continual 
favor  in  the  future — Divine  service  was  held  in  the  army.' 
On  the  plains  of  Orange,  as  amid  the  blue  ranges  of  the  moun 
tains  after  McDowell,  the  followers  of  Jackson  bent  their 
bronzed  faces  in  prayer  to  the  Giver  of  Victory. 

Jackson's  dispatch  announcing  the  result  of  the  battle  was 
as  follows : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  VALLEY  DISTRICT, 

August  llth,  6 1  A.  M. 

COLONEL  : — On  the  evening  of  the  9th  instant,  God  blessed 
our  arms  with  another  victory.  The  battle  was  near  Cedai 
Run,  about  six  miles  from  Culpepper  Court-house.  The 
enemy,  according  to  statements  of  prisoners,  consisted  oi 
Banks',  McDowell's,  and  Siegel's  commands.  We  have  over 
four  hundred  prisoners,  including  Brigadier-general  Prince. 
Whilst  our  list  of  killed  is  less  than  that  of  the  enemy,  yet 
we  have  to  mourn  the  loss  of  some  of  our  best  officers  and 
men.  Brigadier-general  Charles  S.  Winder  was  mortally 
wounded  whilst  ably  discharging  his  duty  at  the  head  of  his 
command,  which  was  the  advance  of  the  left  wing  of  the  army. 
We  have  collected  about  1,500  small-arms  and  other  ordnance 
stores. 

I  am,  Colonel, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

T.  J.  JACKSON, 
Major-general  Commanding. 
Col.  R.  H.  CHILTON,  A.  A.  G." 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  159 

General  Pope's  was  in  these  words ; 

"HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  VIRGINIA,       ) 
Cedar  Mountain,  7:30  A  M.,  Aug.  12.  \ 
To  Major-gen.  HALLE CK  : 

The  enemy  has  retreated  under  cover  of  the  night. 
His  rear   is   now  crossing    the   Rapidan,  toward    Orange 
Court-house. 

Our  cavalry  and  artillery  are  in  pursuit. 

JOHN  POPE, 
Major-general,  <&c" 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE    MARCH    TO    MANASSAS. 

JACKSON  thus  retired  before  the  enemy  toward  Orange. 
The  foe,  who  knew  his  mode  of  warfare,  seldom  pressed  him 
hard,  and  General  Pope's  "cavalry  and  artillery  in  pursuit" 
did  not  make  very  zealous  efforts  to  come  up  with  the  Con 
federates. 

The  enemy  seemed,  indeed,  to  have  a  presentiment  of  the 
truth ;  to  comprehend  that  this  retrograde  movement  was,  in 
reality,  the  drawing  back  of  the  arm  to  strike  a  heavier  blow  ; 
the  crouch  of  the  tiger  that  he  may  spring  with  greater  force 
and  certainty  upon  his  prey. 

The  special  pleading  of  General  Pope,  in  regard  to  the  battle 
of  Cedar  Run,  deceived  none  of  the  astute  authorities  at  Wash 
ington,  and  they  speedily  arrived  at  the  conviction  that,  to 
make  headway  in  the  new  field  of  operations,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  concentrate  there  all  the  troops  which  were 
operating  in  Virginia.  A  brief  period  only  had,  therefore, 
elapsed  before  a  fleet  of  transports  appeared  in  James  river, 
proceeded  to  Harrison's  Landing,  and  took  on  board  the  entire 
remnant  of  McClellan's  army,  which  had  lain  there  cowering 


160  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

under  the  gunboats  since  their  defeat  on  the  Chickahominy. 
The  plan  of  the  Federal  authorities  was  to  unite  McClellan's 
forces  with  those  of  Pope ;  to  hurry  forward  from  Fredericks- 
burg  the  troops  under  General  Burnside,  and  forming  one 
great  army  of  these  three  distinct  bodies,  concentrate  them 
between  the  Rappahannock  and  the  Rapidan,  with  a  view  to 
penetrate  the  heart  of  Virginia,  cut  the  communications  of  the 
Confederate  capital,  and  either  drive  the  rebel  government 
from  the  State,  or  reduce  it  to  submission. 

This  design  was  energetically  undertaken,  and  the  Confed 
erates  were  promptly  called  on  to  decide  whether  they  would 
stand  on  the  defensive,  for  the  protection  of  Richmond  against 
this  new  attack,  or  advance  upon  the  enemy,  and  "  carry  the 
war  into  Africa." 

The  latter  determination  was  speedily  arrived  at ;  offensive 
operations  were  decided  upon ;  and  no  sooner  had  General 
Lee  satisfied  himself  that  McClellan  was  evacuating  his  position 
on  James  river,  than  he  hastened  to  put  his  troops  in  motion  to 
attack  General  Pope  before  the  expected  reinforcements  reached 
him. 

The  main  army  moved  rapidly  to  Orange  Court-house,  and 
General  Lee  lost  no  time  in  commencing  operations.  He  de 
cided,  it  would  appear,  to  attack  General  Pope's  right  flank 
and  front  at  the  same  time,  and  the  movement  against  the 
enemy's  right  was  intrusted  to  General  Jackson. 

A  portion  of  Jackson's  corps  accordingly  moved  from  its 
camp  near  Gordonsville,  and  bearing  well  to  the  left,  crossed 
the  Rapidan,  and  proceeded  in  the  direction  of  Madison  Court 
house.  From  that  point  the  force  could  descend  upon  the 
enemy's  right  flank  and  rear,  while  General  Lee  assailed  him  in 
front ;  and  thus,  hemmed  in  between  the  Rappahannock  and 
the  Rapidan,  the  Federal  army  would  be  destroyed  or  forced 
to  surrender. 

This  design  was  frustrated  by  the  unexpected  movements 
of  the  enemy.  Gen.  Pope  had  no  intention  of  again  attempt- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  161 

ing  a  trial  of  strength  with  Jackson,  who  had  already  handled 
him  so  roughly  at  Cedar  Run,  and,  doubtless,  the  presence 
of  General  Lee  in  his  front  did  not  diminish  his  inclina 
tion  to  retire.  With  a  prudence  which  ill-assorted  with  his 
publicly-expressed  determination  to  take  no  steps  toward 
that  "  rear"  where  "  lurked  disaster  and  shame,"  he  no  sooner 
suspected  the  projected  attack  than  he  fell  back  promptly 
to  the  north  bank  of  the  Rappahannock,  and  crowning  every 
hill  with  his  batteries,  prepared  to  dispute  its  passage.  This 
movement  produced  a  corresponding  change  in  the  plans 
of  General  Lee.  He  advanced,  across  the  Rapidan,  and  the 
whole  army  was  united  in  the  neighborhood  of  Culpepper 
Court-house. 

We  shall  insert  here  a  paragraph  or  two,  relating  to  the 
movements  of  the  Southern  troops,  written  by  "  Personne," 
the  excellent  correspondent  of  the  Charleston  Mercury,  and  in 
teresting  as  furnishing  those  familiar  details,  which  will  here 
after  be  read  with  so  much  interest.  We  quote  the  following 
sentences  from  the  writer's  diary  : 

^August  19,  near  Orange  Court-house. — Orders  issued  from 
headquarters  for  the  army  to  move  forward  in  light  marching 
order.  At  daylight,  every  thing  in  motion  toward  the  Rapi 
dan,  which  is  ten  miles  distant.  The  enemy  in  front  and  on 
this  side  of  the  river.  Long-street  at  the  head  of  his  column. 
The  Federals  back  rapidly  as  we  advance,  our  front  and  their 
rear-guard  having  one  or  two  slight  skirmishes.  Jackson  is 
moving  toward  the  left,  probably  with  a  view  to  flank  the 
enemy  in  case  of  a  stand. 

"  August  20. — Army  crossed  the  Rapidan,  the  water  thigh 
deep.  Scene  exciting  and  amusing.  Nearly  whole  day  thus 
occupied. 

"August  21. — The  enemy  in  close  proximity,  and  we  have 
to  move  cautiously.  Longstreet's  corps  is  in  front.  From  a 
hill  on  the  other  side  of  the  Rapidan  we  have  a  magnificent 
view  for  miles.  Three  columns — long,  black  winding  lines 
of  men,  their  muskets  gleaming  in  the  sunshine  like  silver 
spears — are  in  sight,  moving  in  the  direction  of  Fredericks- 
l>urg,  or  down  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river.  More  skirmish- 


162  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

ing  .in  front.  Good  many  stragglers  by  the  wayside,  but  thev 
are  generally  broken-down  soldiers,  and  trudge  slowly  along  in 
the  tracks  of  their  comrades.  An  attractive  part  of  the  pro 
cession  is  the  baggage  trains,  wending  their  way  in  the  rea :• 
of  the  army.  Thousands  of  wagons  are  in  sight,  and  between 
the  stalling  of  trains,  the  shouting  of  drivers,  and  the  chaotic 
confusion  which  emanates  from  the  motley  mass,  no  man  car. 
complain  of  the  ennui  of  the  march. 

"  Nothing  can  be  more  picturesquely  beautiful  than  the-, 
bivouac  at  night  Thousands  of  troops  line  the  woods  or. 
both  sides  of  the  road  for  miles.  Camp  fires  are  glimmering 
in  the  trees,  muskets  are  stacked  along  the  edge  of  the  for 
est,  and  the  men  are  disposed  in  every  conceivable  manner 
Some  are  rolled  up  in  their  blankets,  and  already  dreaming 
away  the  fatigues  of  the  day ;  some  are  sitting  around  the 
camp  fires  watching  the  roasting  ears,  and  discussing  the 
*  coining  events  which  cast  their  shadows  before,'  and  some 
are  among  the  trees,  moving  to  and  fro  in  the  gray  film  of 
smoke  that  has  arisen  from  the  myriad  fires  and  rests  upon 
the  earth.  We  live  on  what  we  can  get — now  and  then  an 
ear  of  corn,  fried  green  apples,  or  a  bit  of  ham  broiled  on  a 
stick,  but  quite  as  frequently  do  without  either  from  morning 
until  night.  We  sleep  on  the  ground  without  any  other  cover 
ing  than  a  blanket,  and  consider  ourselves  fortunate  if  we  are 
not  frozen  stiff  before  morning.  The  nights  are  both  damp 
and  cold. 

"August  22. — To-day  another  busy  scene.  The  army  re 
sumed  its  march  at  daylight.  Longstreet's  twelve  brigades 
moving  toward  the  Potomac  on  the  right  and  Jackson  on  the 
left.  The  latter  has  passed  the  Rapidan  Station  on  the  Vir 
ginia  Central  Railroad,  and  is  pressing  on  northeast  of  Cul- 
pepper.  Several  small  skirmishes  have  taken  place  on  the 
front,  and  eighty  or  ninety  prisoners  went  by  on  their  way  to 
the  rear.  Among  the  Yankees  captured  by  Jackson  were  two 
men,  who,  as  soon  as  they  fell  into  our-  hands,  commenced  to 
ask  after  their  old  comrades  in  the  artillery  company.  An 
inquiry  being  instituted,  they  confessed  that  eight  months 
ago  they  were  soldiers  in  our  army,  but  that,  being  tired  of 
service,  had  deserted  and  joined  the  ranks  of  the  enemy. 
Without  further  ado,  the  general  ordered  them  to  be  hung  to 
a  tree,  which  was  done  in  the  presence  of  a  large  portion  of 
his  army." 

A  portion  of  this  extract  paints  with  great  accuracy  the 


LIFE    OF  STONEWALL   JACKSON.  163 

commissariat  of  the  Southern  army.  "A  bit  of  ham  broiled 
on  a  stick"  was  a  luxury  with  the  men,  and  the  time  was 
soon  to  come  when  it  would  be  unattainable :  when  the  entire 
force  would  be  called  on  to  subsist  upon  green  corn  roasted  on 
the  embers — sole  bill  of  fare  of  the  tired  and  hungry  soldier. 
General  Lee  had  thus  massed  his  army  between  the  Rapidan 
and  Rappahannock ;  his  designs  were  speedily  to  take  shape, 
and  become  "clothed  in  act." 

Jackson  bivouacked  opposite  Warrenton  Springs,  on  the 
evening  of  August  22d,  and  immediately  threw  two  brigades 
of  Gen.  Ewell's  division  across  the  river.  On  the  next  day 
a  fresh  in  the  river  destroyed  the  bridge,  and  as  Jackson  had 
determined  to  withdraw  the  force,  he  rebuilt  the  bridge, 
which  they  then  repassed,  after  a  brief  but  warm  engagement 
with  the  enemy. 

At  the  very  moment  when  Jackson  was  thus  feeling  the 
enemy  on  the  Rappahannock,  General  Stuart,  at  the  head  of 
his  cavalry,  had,  by  one  of  those  bold  dashes  which  charac 
terized  him,  penetrated  to  their  rear,  and,  in  the  midst  of 
night  and  storm,  struck  them  at  Catlett's,  a  station  on  the 
Orange  and  Alexandria  Railroad,  where  General  Pope  then 
was  in  person.  Pope  escaped ;  but  with  the  loss  of  his  coat 
and  hat,  and  some  members  of  his  staff.  The  most  valuable 
part  of  the  captured  property,  however,  was  a  box  of  official 
papers,  which  is  said  to  have  clearly  exhibited  the  strength  of 
his  army;  his  anxious  desire  for  reinforcements:  his  expec 
tation  that  they  would  soon  arrive ;  and  the  small  hope  he 
had  of  success,  if,  meanwhile,  he  was  assailed  by  the  Confeder 
ates  in  force.  These  documents  were  laid  before  Gen.  Lee; 
and  the  revelations  which  they  contained  of  the  enemy's  de 
signs,  probably  led  to  the  great  movement  which  speedily 
commenced. 

General  Lee  determined  to  send  an  expedition  against  the 
enemy's  rear,  in  order  to  cut  his  communications,  and  force 
him  to  fall  back  from  the  Rappahauuock.  The  movement 


164:  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

would  necessarily  be  attended  with  great  peril;  would  de 
mand  on  the  part  of  the  officer  in  charge  of  it,  great  energy, 
judgment,  and  decision ;  and  it  was  necessary  to  intrust  the 
execution  of  the  project  to  one  of  the  most  competent  gener 
als  of  the  Southern  army.  The  antecedents  of  General 
Jackson  pointed  him  out  as  a  person  eminently  fitted  to  un 
dertake  this  great  movement ;  and  to  him  it  was  accordingly 
assigned. 

Jackson  lost  no  time  in  preparing  to  move  forward.  Delay 
was  a  word  not  found  in  the  vocabulary  of  the  leader  who  had 
swooped  from  the  heights  of  McDowell  upon  Front  Royal 
and  Winchester ;  pushed  on  to  the  Potomac ;  passed  back  by 
forced  marches  between  the  converging  columns  of  the  enemy ; 
defeated  them  at  Port  Republic ;  and  as  suddenly  fallen  upon 
McClellan's  right  at  Richmond. 

On  Monday,  August  25th,  he  moved  his  command,  con 
sisting  of  Swell's,  A.  P.  Hill's,  and  Jackson's  old  division, 
toward  JefTersontown,  producing  upon  the  enemy  the  impres 
sion  that  the  Southern  forces  were  falling  back.  But  at  Jef 
fersontown  his  route  was  suddenly  changed.  Facing  to  the 
right,  he  ascended  the  banks  of  the  Rappahannock,  passed 
through  the  small  village  of  Amosville,  and  crossed  the  river 
at  Hirison's  Ford,  dragging  his  artillery  with  difficulty  up  the 
narrow  and  rock-ribbed  road  beyond.  From  that  moment 
rapidity  of  movement  was  essential  to  success.  The  presence 
of  Jackson  in  that  region  could  not  long  be  concealed,  and  it 
was  vitally  important  that  the  Confederate  forces  should  push 
on,  and  pass  through  Thoroughfare  Gap — their  proposed  line 
of  advance — before  the  enemy  could  occupy  that  strong  for 
tress,  and  bar  their  passage. 

The  famous  "  Foot  Cavalry"  were  now  called  upon  to  put 
forth  their  utmost  strength.  A  long  and  exhausting  march 
was  before  them ;  every  moment  was  precious ;  Thoroughfare 
Gap  must  be  reached  before  the  enemy  arrived ;  and  the  ordi 
nary  rules  of  marching  must  be  changed.  As  though  recog- 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  165 

nizing  the  truth  of  the  maxim,  that  wherever  two  men  can 
place  their  feet  an  army  can  move,  Jackson  pushed  on  be 
neath  the  very  shadow  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  "across  open 
fields,  by  strange  country  roads  and  comfortable  homesteads, 
by  a  little  town  in  Fauquier,  called  Orleans,  on  and  on,  as  if 
he  would  never  cease,"  declares  one  of  his  men.  The  troops 
were  scarcely  permitted  to  pause  for  an  instant ;  weary,  foot 
sore,  almost  without  food,  they  were  still  marched  steadily 
forward  ;  and  the  result  exhibited  the  sound  judgment  and 
foresight  of  their  leader.  Reaching  Salem,  on  the  Manassas 
Gap  Railroad,  at  midnight,  they  were  put  in  motion  again  at 
dawn  of  day;  and,  passing  "crowds,  all  welcoming,  cheering, 
staring  with  blank  amazement"  at  the  sight  of  Confederate 
troops  in  that  Yankee-ridden  land,  pressed  on  through  the 
Plains  to  Thoroughfare  Gap. 

The  mountain  gorge  was  undefended — the  enemy  had  been 
completely  "headed  off" — and  passing  rapidly  between  the 
frowning  ramparts,  Jackson,  with  his  little  army,  hungry  and 
exhausted,  but  resolute  as  ever,  descended  like  a  hawk  upon 
Manassas.  Gen.  Pope,  in  his  official  report,  declares  that 
he  knew  of  Jackson's  movement.  He  makes  this  statement 
to  relieve  himself  from  the  charge  of  a  want  of  generalship, 
in«having  been  surprised ;  but  his  declaration  has  rather  the 
opposite  effect.  The  truth  doubtless  is,  that  scouts  brought 
him  word  of  some  movement  of  the  enemy  in  that  direction  ; 
but  it  seems-plain,  from  all  the  testimony,  that  General  Pope 
considered  it  only  a  raid  by  a  small  body,  probably  of  cavalry. 
General  Stuart  was  between  him  and  Jackson  with  a  cordon 
of  pickets,  and  a  perfect  net-work  of  scouting  parties;  and 
we  are  thus  justified  in  declaring  that  the  movement  was  a 
complete  surprise.  Had  General  Pope  suspected  for  an  in 
stant  that  the  rumored  force  advancing  to  turn  his  right 
flank,  and  strike  his  rear,  was  the  army  of  Jackson,  led  by 
that  general  in  person,  his  operations  on  the  Rappahannock 
would  have  terminated  two  days  earlier  than  they  did ; 


106  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Thoroughfare  Gap  would  have  been  defended  ;  and  the  condi 
tions  under  which  the  great  battles  at  Manassas  were  fought 
would  have  been  changed. 

Gen.  Stuart  had  pushed  in  advance  with  his  cavalry,  as 
cended  the  Bull  Run  Mountain  by  a  winding  and  rocky  road, 
to  the  right  of  the  Gap,  and  descending  the  eastern  acclivity, 
taken  his  post  again  in  front  and  on  the  flanks  of  the  army, 
which  on  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday,  the  26th,  reached  the 
neighborhood  of  Manassas. 

This  march  will  always  remain  famous  in  history.  It  was 
the  achievement  of  a  leader,  fertile  in  resource ;  close  in  his 
calculations  of  time  and  material ;  unerring  in  decision  and 
execution.  It  had  completely  surprised  the  enemy,  who, 
fancying  that  the  main  attack  would  be  made  by  Lee,  upon 
the  Rappahannock,  had  paid  no  attention  to  the  threatening 
rumors  of  an  intended  assault  upon  their  rear,  attributing  it  to 
a  few  wandering  guerillas,  who  could  be  repulsed  by  the  gar 
rison  at  Manassas ;  and  persistently  kept  their  eyes  upon  the 
main  body  of  the  Confederates  in  their  front,  up  to  the  mo 
ment  when  the  intelligence  reached  them  that  they  were  com 
pletely  cut  off  from  Washington,  and  must  fight  upon  terms 
dictated  by  their  adversaries. 

The  illustrious  leader  had  thus  stolen  a  march  upon  iiis 
enemies,  and  won  new  laurels ;  but  in  contemplating  the 
splendid  success  of  the  chief,  let  us  not  lose  sight  of  the 
credit  which  belongs  to  his  men.  The  troops  who  executed 
that  great  movement  displayed  a  soldiership  and  devotion  to 
the  great  cause  of  the  South — an  endurance,  a  heroism,  a 
cheerfulness  under  privation  and  hardship,  which  would  do 
honor  to  the  most  celebrated  nations  of  history.  In  two  days 
they  had  marched  nearly  fifty  miles,  almost  without  food  or 
rest,  to  attack.  Had  they  passed  over  the  ground,  pursued 
by  a  triumphant  enemy,  it  would  have  been  different;  but 
they  made  this  steady  and  rapid  advance  to  attain  a  position 
in  which  they  expected  to  be  immediately  assailed  by  over- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  167 

•whelming  masses  of  the  enemy,  and  bear  the  brunt  of  Pope's 
huge  horde,  hurled,  in  mad  and  desperate  rage,  against  their 
weary  lines.  They  were,  many  of  them,  barefooted,  limping, 
*'  weary  unto  death,"  fainting  from  want  of  food  and  rest ; 
but  they  did  not  lag  behind  on  that  account.  "  Close  up !" 
was  the  word  all  along  the  line ;  and  they  marched  on,  broken 
down  in  strength,  but  with  spirits  that  no  privations  or  fatigue 
could  overcome.  The  correspondent  of  the  "  Mercury"  has 
described  their  food ;  but  only  those  who  saw  the  Southern 
troops,  in  those  days,  can  realize  the  sufferings  which  they 
were  called  upon  to  undergo — and  did  undergo  with  the  cheer 
fulness  of  the  true  soldier,  fighting,  not  for  pay  or  rations, 
like  the  hired  mercenary,  but  for  a  cause  which  they  dearly 
loved,  and  were  willing  to  make  all  sacrifices  for,  without  a 
murmur.  The  phenomenon  was  then  and  there  presented  of 
an  army  living  for  days  upon  nothing  but  green  corn  and 
^unripe  apples ;  of  exhausting  marches,  incessant  combats, 
and  unresting  movements,  almost  without  food  or  sleep.  And, 
as  we  have  said,  there  was  not  a  murmur  heard  in  all  the 
corps ;  the  flower  of  the  Southern  youth,  reared  in  homes  of 
affluence  and  luxury,  were  toiling  on  over  the  dusty  ways,  or 
lying,  weak  and  exhausted,  by  the  roadside,  or  fighting  while 
so  feeble  that  they  could  scarcely  handle  their  muskets — but 
they  did  not  permit  one  word  of  complaint  to  escape  them, 
one  thought  of  despair  to  enter  their  hearts.  Their  feet  were 
on  their  native  Southern  soil,  the  foe  in  front  of  them ;  the 
fixed  resolve  of  every  soul  in  Jackson's  army  was  to  drive  that 
insolent  enemy  from  our  borders,  or  perish. 

The  writer  of  these  pages  saw  the  men  of  the  South,  in 
that  great  crisis  of  our  history;  and  his  pulse  still  throbs, 
as  he  recalls  the  grand  and  noble  spectacle  which  they  pre 
sented. 

Jackson  approached  Manassas,  as  we  have  said,  on  Tues 
day,  the  26th  of  August.  At  Bristoe,  a  station  on  the  Orange 
and  Alexandria  Railroad,  about  four  miles  from  the  Junction, 


168  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Stuart's  cavalry  fired  into  a  train  of  cars,  which,  howeve -; 
got  by  to  Manassas;  and  the  infantry  succeeded  in  stopping 
and  capturing  two  or  three  other  trains,  which  were  speedily 
burned.  Jackson  was  thus  completely  in  the  enemy's  rear ; 
held  possession  of  the  railroad  which  supplied  their  army 
and  the  first  act  of  the  great  drama  had  been  played.  Whe  i 
the  curtain  descended,  this  was  the  position  of  affairs.  Le3 
was  in  Pope's  front ;  Jackson  in  his  rear;  the  Federal  rein 
forcements  from  Washington  and  Fredericksburg  had  net 
arrived;  Gen.  Pope  must  fight  on  ground  and  conditions  se 
lected  by  his  enemy.  A  cool  and  determined  spirit  would 
not,  however,  have  regarded  the  situation  as  desperate.  Lee, 
with  his  main  body,  was  still  a  long  way  off;  Burnside  was 
approaching  from  below ;  reinforcements  were  being  hurried 
forward  from  Alexandria ;  and  Jackson  was  playing  a  gam<; 
which  might,  with  good  hopes  of  success,  be  retorted  againsG 
himself.  He  might  be  the  "cut  off"  party;  his  command 
attacked  before  Lee  could  arrive;  and,  indeed,  the  Northern 
journals,  which  had  speedily  gained  intelligence  of  his  pres 
ence  in  Pope's  rear,  congratulated  their  readers  that  the. 
famous  "  Stonewall,"  who  had  given  them  so  much  trouble. 
was  now  completely  flanked,  and  about  to  fall  into  the  clutches-, 
of  his  enemies. 

Proceeding  upon  this  view  of  the  subject,  Gen.  Pope  put 
his  columns  in  motion,  and  advanced  to  protect  his  communi 
cations,  and  attack  Jackson  before  he  could  be  reinforced  by 
Lee. 

Let  us  follow  the  movements  of  the  personage  who  was 
thus  threatened.  The  first  thing  necessary  was  to  gain  pos 
session  of  Manassas;  and  this  work  was  intrusted  to  General 
Stuart.  Jackson  sent  him  Trimble's  brigade,  to  co-operate 
with  the  cavalry ;  and  notified  Stuart  to  take  charge  of  the 
movement.  The  force  at  Manassas  did  not  make  a  very  stout 
resistance.  Gen.  Stuart  advanced  with  his  cavalry,  until 
challenged  by  the  enemy's  interior  sentinels,  and  fired  on  with 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  169 

canister,  and  finding  the  ground  impracticable  for  cavalry,  by 
night,  sent  for  the  infantry.  When  it  arrived,  he  directed 
Gen.  Trimble  to  rest  his  centre  on  the  railroad  and  advance, 
which  was  immediately  done  ;  and,  after  a  brief  contest,  the 
place  was  captured,  Colonel  Wickham,  with  a  portion  of  the 
cavalry,  cutting  off  the  enemy's  retreat. 

The  amount  of  stores  captured  at  Manassas  was  very  large. 
Five  or  six  pieces  of  artillery,  ten  locomotives,  two  railroad 
trains  of  enormous  size,  loaded  with  many  millions'  worth  of 
quartermaster  and  commissary  stores;  50,000  pounds  of 
bacon,  1,000  barrels  of  beef,  20,000  barrels  of  pork,  several 
thousand  barrels  of  flour,  and  a  large  quantity  of  forage.  In 
addition  to  these  public  stores,  were  the  contents  of  the 
sutler's  shops,  containing,  says  an  eye-witness,  "  an  amount 
and  variety  of  property,  such  as  I  had  never  conceived  of." 
The  same  writer  says  :  "  'Twas  a  curious  sight  to  see  our  ragged 
and  famished  men  helping  themselves  to  every  imaginable 
article  of  luxury  or  necessity,  whether  of  clothing,  food,  or 
what  not.  For  my  part  I  got  a  tooth-brush,  a  box  of  can 
dles,  a  quantity  of  lobster  salad,  a  barrel  of  coffee,  and  other 
things  which  I  forget.  The  scene  utterly  beggared  descrip 
tion.  Our  men  had  been  living  on  roasted  corn  since  crossing 
the  Rappahannock,  and  we  had  brought  no  wagons,  so  we 
could  carry  little  away  of  the  riches  before  us.  But  the  men 
could  eat  one  meal  at  least.  So  they  were  marched  up,  and 
as  much  of  every  thing  eatable  served  out  as  they  could  carry. 
To  see  a  starving  man  eating  lobster  salad  and  drinking  Rhine 
wine,  barefooted  and  in  tatters,  was  curious ;  the  whole  thing 
was  indescribable." 

This  vast  mass  of  public  and  private  stores,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  what  the  men  consumed  or  carried  away  with 
them,  a  bakery,  furnishing  daily  15,000  loaves  of  bread,  and 
all  the  public  buildings  of  the  place,  were,  on  the  evening  of 
Wednesday,  consigned  to  the  flames,  and  utterly  destroyed. 

8 


170  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

When  the  army  evacuated  the  place,  on  that  night,  the  lust 
building  was  in  flames,  and  the  ruin  was  complete. 

But  we  anticipate  events.  The  attack  upon  Manassas  ^  as 
made  about  daylight  on  the  27th,  and  when  Gen.  Jackson 
arrived,  the  place  was  in  our  possession.  We  were  not  to 
hold  it  without  a  further  struggle,  however,  on  the  part  of 
the  enemy. 

Intelligence  of  the  danger  to  which  this  great  magazine  of 
stores  was  exposed,  having  reached  Washington,  a  brigade  of 
New  Jersey  troops,  under  Gen.  Taylor,  was  promptly  order  3d 
forward  by  railroad,  to  defend  it.  The  train  reached  the 
bridge  over  Bull  Run  about  seven  in  the  morning;  the  troops 
were  disembarked;  and  the  entire  command  hurried  forward 
as  rapidly  as  possible  toward  Manassas.  Our  skirmishers, 
who  had  been  posted  along  the  crest  of  hills  overlooki  ig 
Bull  Run,  fell  back  before  the  enemy,  and  they  were  thus 
drawn  on  towards  the  fortifications,  where  the  infantry  a  id 
dismounted  cavalry  awaited  them  in  silence.  They  had  ad 
vanced,  in  line-of-battle,  within  close  and  deadly  range,  whsu 
suddenly  the  artillery  in  the  breastworks  opened  their  ir  m 
mouths,  and  *a  storm  of  shot  and  shell  greeted  them.  Th  iy 
fell  back  immediately  in  great  contusion,  behind  a  sheltering 
crest,  and  were  at  once  attacked  by  our  infantry,  who  drove 
them,  "like  scattered  partridges,"  says  an  eye-witness,  com 
pletely  routed,  through  Blackburn's  Ford,  to  the  opposite 
side  of  Bull  Run.  Here  they  were  fired  into  by  the  guns 
of  the  Stuart  Horse  Artillery,  under  Major  Pelham,  who 
poured  round  after  round  of  canister  into  the  broken  and 
flying  ranks,  covering  the  ground  with  dead,  and  driving 
the  enemy  to  ignominious  flight.  General  Taylor  was  killed, 
his  son,  nephew,  and  at  least  one-half  of  his  officers  wounded, 
and  the  road  over  which  the  enemy  fled,  pursued  by  the 
merciless  Horse  Artillery  of  Pelham,  was  marked  at  every 
step  by  their  dead. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  171 


172  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

moment  a  very  small  item  in  the  account.  The  destruction 
of  these  stores  was  one  of  the  great  objects  of  the  expedition ; 
Pope  depended  upon  them  for  the  subsistence  of  his  army; 
and  the  success  or  failure  of  the  grand  operations  about  to 
commence  was  involved  in  depriving  the  enemy  of  tluir 
benefit. 

General  Pope's  official  report  shows  how  thoroughly  he  was 
crippled  by  the  capture  of  Manassas.  He  rests  his  apology 
for  the  defeat  which  followed  solely  upon  the  want  of  ratio  is 
for  his  men  and  forage  for  his  horses.  Describing  his  starv 
ing  condition,  and  inveighing  against  General  McClellan  f  jr 
refusing  to  dispatch  trains  of  supplies  without  an  escort  of 
cavalry,  he  attributes  all  to  the  destruction  at  Manassas. 
There  were  some  grounds  for  his  statement.  Even  if  General 
Fitz  Lee's  cavalry  had  permitted  a  convoy  to  pass,  it  could 
not  have  arrived  in  time ;  and  General  Pope  declares  in  1  is 
report,  that  whether  defeating  Jackson,  or  defeated  by  him, 
it  was  a  simple  question  of  time  whether  he  should  fall  back 
behind  Bull  Run,  toward  his  supplies,  or  "starve."  He  ad  Is 
that  the  battle  of  Saturday  was  fought  because  he  had  no  op 
tion  in  the  matter,  and  could  not  delay  an  engagemei  t. 
"Starvation"  for  men  and  horses  stared  him  in  the  face,  ai.d 
drove  him  to  renew  the  action. 

Such  were  the  excellent  results  immediately  achieved  ly 
General  Jackson  in  the  capture  of  the  enemy's  magazines  at 
Manassas.  That  historic  place  had  thus  been  twice  destroyed 
by  the  Confederate  commanders — first  by  Johnston,  and  then 
by  Jackson. 

It  had  twice  been  occupied  by  the  enemy,  on  the  next  day, 
but  under  different  circumstances.  The  troops  which  took 
possession  of  it  when  Johnston  evacuated  and  destroyed  it  i:i 
March,  were  the  advance  guard  of  an  army  thoroughly  pro 
visioned,  and  in  high  spirits.  Those  who  entered  it  on  the 
28th  of  August  were  hungry,  and  with  spirits  already  dark 
ened  by  the  shadow  of  Jackson. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  173 


CHAPTER  XXH. 

JACKSON      AT      BAT. 

JACKSON  turned  his  back  on  the  burning  houses  of  Manassas 
at  nightfall. 

His  position  was  now  perilous  in  the  extreme.  The  main 
body  of  Lee's  army  was  in  motion,  and  marching  by  the  same 
route  which  he  had  followed,  to  his  assistance ;  but  Pope  was 
moving  t6  attack  him,  and  the  head  of  the  Federal  column 
had  already  come  in  collision  with  General  Ewell.  Lee  had 
the  arc  of  the  circle  to  follow,  while  his  adversary  moved 
over  the  chord  ;  and  all  now  depended  upon  the  former's 
celerity,  and  Jackson's  strategy  in  meanwhile  keeping  the 
enemy  at  bay.  If  General  Pope  could  once  come  up  with, 
and  strike  Jackson  before  Lee  and  Longstreet  arrived,  the 
contest  wpuld  be  desperate,  as  the  Confederates  did  not  num 
ber  20,000  men ;  and  to  ward  off  the  threatened  blow  until 
the  main  body  came  to  his  succor,  was  now  the  aim  of  Gen. 
Jackson. 

The  movement  brought  into  play  all  his  great  resources  of 
energy,  nerve,  prudence,  and  generalship.  He  might  have 
retired  without  difficulty  before  the  enemy,  in  the  direction 
of  Aldie,  and  turning  the  Bull  Run  Mountain  at  its  northern 
extremity,  formed  a  junction  with  Longstreet,  and  defied  the 
foe ;  but  this  withdrawal  of  the  advance  force  was  no  part  of 
the  plan  of  General  Lee.  The  design  of  that  commander  was 
to  engage  the  enemy  with  his  whole  force  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Manassas,  while  they  were  laboring  under  the  embarrass 
ments  occasioned  by  the  destruction  of  their  stores  and  com 
munications — while  the  men  and  horses  were  hungry  and 
exhausted — and  before  supplies  could  reach  them  from  Alex 
andria.  The  retreat  toward  Aldie,  on  Jackson's  part,  would 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

have  lost  to  him  half  the  fruits  of  the  great  movement — 
thwarted  Gen.  Lee's  plans — and  reversed  the  whole  pro 
gramme  of  operations.  General  Jackson  accordingly  ban 
ished  all  thoughts  of  such  a  retrograde  movement,  and  with 
that  stubborn  nerve  which  characterized  him,  determined  to 
fall  back  slowly  to  a  position  within  supporting  distance  •£ 
Longstreet,  contest  every  inch  of  the  ground,  and  only  rj- 
tire  when  the  existence  of  his  army  made  it  necessary. 

Accordingly,  just  after  sunset,  he  put  his  troops  in  motion, 
and  begun  the  movement  which  was  to  effect  his  object.  H  s 
corps  was  divided,  and  took  different  routes.  Hill's  division, 
with  a  detachment  of  cavalry,  set  out  on  the  road  to  Centre- 
ville,  crossing  at  Blackburn's  Ford,  and  thus  drawing  the 
attention  of  the  enemy  in  a  false  direction.  Hill  did  not  pro 
ceed  beyond  Centre ville,  however.  Having  reached  th;  t 
point,  he  faced  to  the  left,  took  the  Warrenton  road,  and  re 
turned,  recrossing  Bull  Run  at  Stone  Bridge.  Near  tlrs 
point,  he  rejoined  Jackson,  who  had  fallen  back,  with  Swell's 
division,  his  own  and  the  rest  of  the  cavalry,  and  take  a 
up  a  position  on  the  battle-field  of  Manassas ;  his  left  resting 
near  Sudley  Ford;  his  right  at  a  point  a  little  above  the  sma.l 
village  of  Groveton.  The  crest  which  he  occupied  was  part 
protected  in  front  by  a  railroad  cut — that  of  a  projected  road 
branching  from  the  main  Manassas  railroad  near  Gainesville, 
and  running  toward  Alexandria.  Here  he  was  in  a  position 
to  repulse  the  enemy  unless  they  advanced  in  overpowering 
force ;  to  form  a  junction  with  Longstreet  as  soon  as  he  ar 
rived,  and,  if  hard  pressed,  retire  up  the  right  bank  of  Bull 
Run  toward  Aldie. 

Deceived  by  the  movements  of  A.  P.  Hill  toward  Centre- 
ville,  a  force  of  the  enemy  had  followed  him  in  that  direction, 
and  pursued  hotly  until  his  rear-guard  passed  Stone  Bridge. 
This  was  in  the  afternoon.  But  meanwhile  the  cavalry  force 
of  the  two  armies  had  not  been  idle.  General  Stuart  disposed 
his  cavalry  so  as  to  cover  Jackson's  front  in  the  direction  of 


LT   GEN.   R  .  S .   E  V/  E 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  175 

Warrentown  and  Manassas  ;  and  having  intercepted  a  dispatch 
from  the  enemy,  directing  cavalry  to  report  to  General  Bayard 
at  Haymarket,  near  Thoroughfare,  Stuart  proceeded  in  that 
direction,  with  his  two  fragments  of  brigades,  to  attack  it,  and 
establish  communication  with  Longstreet,  whose  arrival  was 
looked  for  with  intense  anxiety.  On  the  way,  Stuart  cap 
tured  a  party  of  the  enemy,  and,  having  sent  his  dispatch 
through  by  a  trusty  messenger,  engaged  the  enemy's  cavalry, 
while  Longstreet  was  fighting  at  Thoroughfare  Gap.  The 
skirmish  was  still  going  on,  when  the  sound  of  artillery  frojn 
Stone  Bridge  indicated  a  battle  there,  and  quietly  withdrawing 
from  the  action,  General  Stuart  hastened  to  place  his  command 
upon  Jackson's  right  flank. 

As  the  cavalry  approached,  the  dust  which  they  raised 
induced  the  apprehension  on  General  Stuart's  part  that  his 
command,  coming  as  it  did  from  the  direction  of  the  enemy, 
would  be  taken  for  a  part  of  the  Federal  force.  A  staff  offi 
cer  was  accordingly  dispatched  with  the  intelligence  of  his 
approach,  and  Jackson  promptly  informed  that  the  supposed 
enemies  were  friends.  He  was  reconnoitring  at  the  moment 
with  General  Ewell  and  others  in  front  of  his  troops,  drawn  up 
in  line  of  battle,  and  no  sooner  knew  that  his  flank  was  not 
threatened,  than,  pointing  to  the  enemy  in  his  front,  he  said, 
briefly,  "  Ewell,  advance  !" 

Ewell  immediately  threw  forward  his  own  division  and 
Jackson's,  and  attacked  the  enemy,  who  were  seen  advancing 
along  the  Warrenton  turnpike,  with  the  apparent  intention 
of  crossing  Bull  Run  at  Sudley  Ford  and  Stone  Bridge.  A 
fierce  engagement,  in  the  last  two  hours  of  daylight,  followed ; 
the  enemy  finally  gave  way,  and  at  nightfall  were  entirely  re 
pulsed.  General  Ewell  had  been  badly  wounded  in  the  knee, 
and  his  valuable  services  were  lost  in  the  subsequent  battles, 
but  the  enemy  had  suffered  heavy  loss  and  yielded  the  field — 
the  opposing  armies  remaining  in  front  of  each  other  in  line 
of  battle,  waiting  for  daylight. 


176  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

The  mild  hours  of  the  August  evening  which  witnessed 
this  contest  on  the  historic  plains  of  Manassas,  were  marki  d 
also  by  a  sharp  engagement  between  Longstreet  and  tl  c 
enemy  in  the  gorge  of  Thoroughfare  Gap.  This  wild  ai  d 
romantic  pass  in  the  mountains,  with  its  frowning,  fir-chid 
battlements  on  either  side — its  narrow  and  winding  road,  and 
its  rugged  walls  rising  rock  above  rock  to  the  summit,  right 
and  left — was  defended  by  a  considerable  force  of  the  enemy, 
with  powerful  batteries  judiciously  posted  to  take  the  eastein 
debouchment  with  shell  and  canister.  General  Lee,  who  had 
pressed  forward  over  the  same  road  followed  by  Jackson,  and 
reached  the  lofty  hill  upon  the  western  opening  of  the  pass 
late  in  the  afternoon,  determined  not  to  delay  the  attack.  A 
brigade  was  accordingly  sent  forward,  and  bravely  rushed  into 
the  gap  in  face  of  a  hot  fire  of  musketry  and  a  storm  of  shell 
from  the  enemy's  artillery  beyond.  The  conflict  was  kept  up 
with  great  spirit  for  some  time;  but  Lee  having  sent  a  force 
by  Ilopewell  Gap,  a  little  north  of  Thoroughfare,  to  take  the 
enemy  in  flank  and  rear,  they  hastily  withdrew  their  batteries, 
and  left  the  way  open  to  Longstreet,  who  passed  througi 
about  nine  o'clock  at  night. 

When  a  courier  brought  to  Jackson  the  intelligence  that 
Longstreet  had  passed  Thoroughfare,  and  was  rapidly  pressing 
forward  to  join  him,  he  drew  a  long  breath  and  uttered  a  sigh 
of  relief.  The  long  agony  was  over — the  great  movement 
which  would  remain  among  his  proudest  glories  had  terminated 
in  complete  success. 

Longstreet — nay,  Lee  himself — was  near,  and  all  was  well. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  177 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

MANASSAS  I    AUGUST    29,    1862. 

ON  the  morning  of  Friday,  August  29th,  Jackson's  corps 
was  drawn  up  to  receive  the  anticipated  assault  of  the  enemy, 
posted  directly  in  his  front.  His  position  was  a  strong  one. 
His  left  rested  near  Sudley  Ford,  and  his  right  a  little  above 
the  small  village  of  Groveton,  on  the  Warrenton  turnpike — a 
portion  of  the  line  being  protected  by  the  deep  cut  for  the 
projected  railroad,  already  mentioned.  Thus  posted,  General 
Jackson  was  in  a  condition  to  repel  any  assault  of  the  enemy, 
unless  it  was  made  in  overpowering  force ;  and  confident  of 
his  ability  to  hold  his  ground  until  reinforcements  arrived,  he 
presented  a  dauntless  front,  ready  to  accept  battle  at  any 
moment. 

The  fatal  error  of  General  Pope  was  his  delay  in  making 
this  attack.  Confusion  seems  to  have  reigned  in  the  Federal 
counsels,  and  the  plainest  dictates  of  common  sense,  much 
more  of  military  science,  were  utterly  disregarded.  It  was 
known  that  Lee  was  advancing  with  Longstreet's  corps — that 
great  reserve  whose  blows  were  so  heavy,  and  told  for  so 
much  in  every  contest.  The  route  of  this  corps  was  also  well 
known ;  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  they  would  advance 
through  Thoroughfare  Gap;  and  yet  Thoroughfare  Gap,  the 
key  of  the  whole  position,  the  Thermopylae  pass  which  ten 
men  could  have  held  against  a  thousand,  was  inadequately 
guarded,  and  suffered  to  be  cleared.  The  veriest  tyro 
in  arms  would  have  understood  that  all  depended  upon 
hurling  the  entire  Federal  column  upon  Jackson  before 
Longstreet  arrived;  but  General  Pope  either  did  not  see 
the  importance  of  doing  so,  or  was  unable  to  accomplish  it. 
In  his  defence,  he  presents  an  elaborate  array  of  charges 

S* 


178  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

against  General  Porter,  and  other  officers,  for  delay,  ineffi 
ciency,  and  actual  treason,  in  not  coming  up  in  time  ;  but  the 
rejoinders  of  these  officers  are  fatal  in  the  extreme  to  Genera. 
Pope's  character  for  generalship,  and  the  fact  remains  clearly 
proved  that  he  was  out-generalled,  as  he  was  out  fought  by 
General  Jackson. 

The  hour  for  the  execution  of  the  movement  referred  to 
above  had  now  passed.  The  golden  moment  upon  which  the 
hinges  of  destiny  turned  had  slipped  away.  That  most  terrible 
of  phrases,  "  too  late,"  applied  in  all  its  force  to  the  move 
ments  of  the  Federal  army. 

A  cloud  of  dust  from  the  direction  of  Thoroughfare  Gap, 
on  that  eventful  morning,  told  the  tale  of  despair  to  Genera. 
Pope,  of  succor  and  good  hope  to  Gen.  Jackson.  The  grea , 
corps  which  had  turned  the  tide  of  victory  upon  so  many 
hard-fought  fields  was  steadily  pressing  onward,  and  the  ad 
vance  was  now  on  the  Warrenton  turnpike,  beyond  Gaines 
ville,  not  far  from  Jackson's  right. 

All  the  morning  Gen.  Longstreet  was  coming  into  position 
The  far-seeing  eyes  of  the  great  soldier  who  commanded  the 
Southern  army  had  embraced  at  a  glance  the  whole  situatior 
of  things,  and  his  plans  were  formed  with  consummate  skill. 
The  design  was  to  envelop  the  enemy,  as  it  were,  and  occupy 
a  position  from  which  he  could  be  struck  in  front,  flank,  and 
rear  at  the  same  moment,  if  he  made  a  single  error ;  and  this 
design  dictated  an  order  of  battle  not  dissimilar  from  that 
which  was  crowned  with  such  success  on  the  banks  of  the 
Chickahominy. 

Jackson  fronted,  as  we  have  said,  directly  toward  the  War 
renton  road,  his  right  resting  near  Groveton.  When  Long- 
street  arrived,  his  troops  were  steadily  advanced  in  a  line 
crossing  the  Warrenton  road,  his  left  resting  upon  a  range  not 
far  from  Jackson's  right — the  two  lines  forming  an  obtuse 
angle,  and  resembling  somewhat  an  open  V.  The  village  of 
Groveton  was  in  the  angle  thus  formed,  about  a  mile  distant ; 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  179 

and  the  fields  in  its  vicinity  were  completely  commanded  by 
heavy  batteries.  These  were  placed  upon  a  ridge  at  the  angle 
mentioned,  where  Longstreet's  left  and  Jackson's  right  ap 
proached  each  other,  and  were  commanded  by  that  accom 
plished  soldier  and  admirable  artillerist,  Colonel  (now  Briga 
dier-general)  Stephen  D.  Lee,  of  South  Carolina. 

The  advantage  of  this  order  of  battle  is  apparent  at  a 
glance.  If  the  enemy  advanced,  as  it  was  probable  they 
would  do,  upon  Gen.  Jackson,  to  crush  him  before  Longstreet 
was  in  fighting  trim  to  assist  him,  they  would  expose  their 
left  flank  to  the  latter,  and  be  placed  in  a  most  perilous  posi 
tion.  If  they  succeeded  in  driving  Gen.  Jackson  back,  and 
followed  up  their  success  by -a  general  advance  all  along  the 
line,  that  success  would  only  expose  them  still  more  to  the 
heavy  arm  of  Longstreet  ready  to  fall  upon  their  anprotected 
flank.  Their  very  victory  would  be  the  signal  of  their  ruin. 
Triumph  would  insure  destruction.  The  rapidly  closing  sides 
of  the  great  V  would  strike  them  in  flank  and  rear,  huddle 
them  together  in  a  disorderly  mob,  and  end  by  crushing  them 
with  its  inexorable  vice-like  pressure. 

Their  only  hope  in  advancing  upon  Jackson  was  to  pene 
trate  between  him  and  Longstreet,  thereby  dividing  the  line- 
of-battle.  But  Stephen  Lee  was  there,  with  his  batteries 
crowning  the  crest,  and  the  design  was  hopeless. 

Such  was  Gen.  Lee's  order  of  battle.  The  enemy  were  as 
yet  unaware  of  it.  They  adhered  to  their  design  of  over 
whelming  Jackson  before  succor  reached  him ;  and  during  the 
whole  forenoon  were  moving  their  troops  to  the  left,  and 
massing  them  in  his  front.  Skirmishing  and  cannonading, 
rather  desultory  in  their  character,  and  not  important,  went 
on  during  this  movement  of  the  enemy ;  but  it  was  not  until 
three  or  four  o'clock  that  the  battle  commenced  in  earnest. 

At  that  time  the  enemy  rap'idly  advanced  with  a  force,  con 
sisting,  it  is  said,  of  Banks',  Siegel's,  and  Pope's  divisions,  and 
supported  by  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery,  threw  themselves  with 


180  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

great  fury  upon  Jackson's  right.  Their  design  was  to  divide 
our  line,  and  the  assault  was  made  with  great  spirit.  Ewell's 
division,  however,  concealed  behind  the  embankment  of  the 
railroad  received  them  with  a  fire  so  galling  that  they  were 
repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  The  bold  stroke  to  cut  our  line 
thus  failed  at  its  very  inception ;  and  the  Federal  forces  did 
not  seem  to  relish  the  idea  of  immediately  renewing  the  attack. 

As  they  fell  back  in  disorder  before  the  hot  fire  of  the  South 
ern  infantry,  they  were  saluted  by  a  shower  of  shot  and  shell 
from  the  batteries  posted  on  the  high  ground  in  our  rear ; 
and  so  accurate  and  effective  was  this  fire  that  scarcely  a  shot 
failed  to  strike  some  portion  of  the  surging,  panic-stricken  mass 
of  Federals.  They  fell  by  hundreds,  and  the  line  which  had 
advanced  in  all  the  pomp  and  splendor  of  martial  strength, 
scattered  and  sluuk  away,  completely  routed  and  disheartened, 
to  the  shelter  of  the  woods.  The  mortality  was  so  great  that 
of  one  of  the  enemy's  regiments  only  three  men,  it  is  said, 
remained  unhurt. 

A  pause  in  the  conflict  was  speedily  followed  by  another 
attack — this  time  very  generally  directed  all  along  the  line. 
The  enemy  brought  up  their  best  troops;  spared  no  exertions; 
and  fought  with  a. fury  which  indicated  the  importance  they 
attached  to  some  measure  at  least  of  success  in  that  portion  of 
the  field.  Their  batteries  hurled  a  storm,  of  iron  missiles  upon 
our  lines ;  and  protected  by  this  heavy  fire,  their  infantry  ad 
vanced  at  a  double-quick,  bent  apparently  upon  breaking 
through  the  bristling  hedge  of  bayonets  or  leaving  their  dead 
bodies  on  the  field.  The  conflict  continued  hour  after  hour, 
and  was  really  terrific.  Jackson's  brave  troops  never  wavered, 
however ;  and  the  great  leader  was  everywhere  among  his 
men,  cheering  them  on,  and  holding  them  steady  amid  the 
hottest  fire  of  infantry  and  artillery.  They  thus  continued  to 
hold  their  own  obstinately  without  a  thought  of  yielding — but 
the  strength  which  had  borne  them  through  such  exhausting 
marches  and  hard  conflicts  within  the  preceding  four  or  five 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  181 

days  began  to  flag.  Other  causes  conspired  to  render  assist 
ance  necessary.  Heavy  reinforcements  were  being  rapidly 
pushed  forward  by  the  enemy,  and  our  troops  had  shot  away 
all  their  cartridges.  "We  got  out  of  ammunition,"  writes  a 
young  soldier  of  A.  P.  Hill's  division  to  his  mother,  *'  we  col 
lected  more  from  cartridge-boxes  of  fallen  friend  and  foe. 
That  gave  out,  and  we  charged  with  never-failing  yell  and 
steel.  All  day  long  they  threw  their  masses  on  us ;  all  day 
they  fell  back  shattered  and  shrieking.  When  the  sun  went 
down,  their  dead  were  heaped  in  front  of  that  incomplete  rail 
way,  and  we  sighed  with  relief,  for  Longstreet  could  be  seen 
coming  into  position  on  our  right.  The  crisis  was  over ;  Long- 
street  never  failed  yet ;  but  the  sun  went  down  so  slowly." 
Without  ammunition,  the  men  of  Jackson  seized  whatever  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on  to  use  against  the  enemy.  The  piles 
of  stones  in  the  vicinity  of  the  railroad  cut  were  used — and  it 
is  well  established  that  many  of  the  enemy  were  killed  by  hav 
ing  their  skulls  broken  with  fragments  of  rock. 

The  conflict  went  on  in  this  way  all  the  afternoon,  and  was 
exceedingly  obstinate.  The  enemy  had  not  succeeded  in 
driving  Gen.  Jackson  from  his  position ;  but  his  brave  men 
were  beginning  to  grow  weary  in  the  unequal  struggle  with  a 
foe  who  threw  against  them  incessantly  heavy  reinforcements 
of  fresh  and  trained  troops,  constantly  arriving  from  the  rear 
and  hurried  to  the  front,  to  take  the  place  of  those  who  had 
been  repulsed. 

Gen.  Lee  saw  that  the  moment  had  arrived  for  a  demon 
stration  on  the  enemy's  left,  and  this  was  made  about  night 
fall,  when  Jackson's  right  began  to  yield  ground  slowly  and 
sullenly  before  the  masses  brought  to  bear  upon  it.  Hood's 
division  was  ordered  forward,  and  no  sooner  had  these  splen 
did  troops  thrown  themselves  with  ardor  into  the  contest,  than 
the  whole  appearance  of  the  field  suddenly  changed.  Up  to 
that  moment  the  conflict  had  been  obstinate,  but  the  firing 


182  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

upon  both  sides  had  perceptibly  decreased  in  intensity — the 
Federals,  like  their  opponents,  appearing  fatigued  by  the  pe:-- 
sistcnt  conflict.  The  enemy,  as  we  have  said,  had  gained 
ground  upon  Jackson's  right,  and  were  pushing  forward  the  r 
sharpshooters  in  advance  of  their  main  line,  further  and  fa 
ther,  as  our  men  sullenly  retired  inch  by  inch.  It  was  just  i.t 
this  dispiriting  moment  that  Hood's  division  advanced  ;  and 
the  quick  tongues  of  flame  leaped  from  the  muzzles  of  h  s 
muskets,  lighting  up  the  gathering  gloom  with  their  crimsou 
light.  These  "  fires  of  death"  were  followed  by  the  sharp  crac'c 
of  the  guns  from  end  to  end  of  the  great  field  between  the  op 
posing  lines — and  then  dusky  figures  were  seen  advancing  rap 
idly  from  the  Confederate  side.  The  next  jets  of  flame  spurtel 
into  the  darkness  were  near  the  edge  of  the  wood  where  the 
enemy  were  drawn  up ;  then  with  one  long  roar  of  musketry 
and  a  maze  of  quick  flashes  everywhere,  Hood's  men  charge  1 
forward  with  wild  cheers,  driving  the  enemy  before  them  into 
the  depths  of  the  forest. 

The  impetuous  charge  had  instantly  changed  the  fortune  s 
of  the  day.  Jackson's  brave  men  were  inspired  with  ne'v 
ardor,  and  pressed  forward  with  cheers,  all  along  the  line. 
The  enemy  were  unable  to  withstand  the  shock,  and  when 
the  deep  darkness  of  night,  lit  up  now  only  by  a  few  flashes 
of  artillery,  put  an  end  to  the  conflict,  the  Federal  lines  had 
been  forced  back  more  than  half  a  mile  from  the  position 
which  they  had  held  before  Hood  charged. 

By  order  of  Gen.  Lee,  the  troops,  however,  fell  back  to 
their  former  strong  position,  for  the  real  struggle  on  the  next 
day,  and  bivouacked  for  the  night — a  circumstance  which 
possibly  induced  Gen.  Pope  to  telegraph  that,  although  he 
had  sustained  a  loss  of  8,000  men,  he  had  driven  back  the 
entire  Southern  army. 

What  remained  after  the  long  and  obstinate  conflict — above 
the  smoke,  the  dust,  the  blood — was  this:  Jackson  had  held 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  183 

his  ground  against  the  vast  masses  thrown  upon  his  lines — 
had  sustained  the  shock  everywhere  without  flinching — and 
night  and  Longstreet  had  come. 

He  had  foiled  the  enemy  at  every  turn;  had  obstinately 
held  his  ground  against  every  attempt  to  dislodge  him ;  had 
fought  with  that  dogged  determination  which  compels  the 
eagles  of  victory  to  perch  upon  the  standards  of  the  leader 
who  possesses  it ;  had  triumphed  over  his  foes,  and  was  safe. 

Longstreet  was  there  upon  his  right,  with  his  strong  and 
veteran  corps ;  Lee  was  by  his  side  to  take  from  his  shoulders 
a  portion  of  that  burden  of  care  and  anxiety  which  would 
have  crushed  most  men,  and  oppressed  even  the  iron  strength 
of  Jackson ;  the  enemy  were  repulsed ;  their  men  and  horses 
were,  by  his  exertions,  cut  off  from  all  supplies ;  victory,  on 
the  morrow,  was,  humanly  speaking,  a  certainty. 

The  stern  soul  of  Jackson,  the  soldier,  must  have  rejoiced 
within  him,  when  night  came,  and  all  was  well.  But  the 
childlike  heart  of  Jackson,  the  humble  Christian,  was  full  of 
pity  for  his  brave  followers,  and  of  prayer  to  the  God  in  whom 
he  trusted,  for  their  welfare,  and  his  country's  success. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MANASSAS:  AUGUST  30,  1862 

SATURDAY,  the  great  day  which  was  to  terminate  the  long 
conflict,  dawned,  clear  and  beautiful. 

With  the  first  dawn  of  day,  the  Southern  troops  were  under 
arms,  and  prepared  for  the  contest  which  was  to  ensue.  All 
of  our  force  had  now  arrived,  with  the  exception  of  Gen.  R. 
H.  Anderson's  division  of  Longstreet's  corps,  which  was 
only  a  few  miles  from  the  field  ;  and  line-of-battle  was  formed 
immediately. 

The  order  of  battle    remained    unchanged.     Jackson    still 


184:  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

occupied  his  former  position,  with  his  left  near  Sudley,  his 
right  above  Grovcton ;  and  Longstreet's  line,  as  before, 
stretched  away  obliquely,  the  interval  between  the  two  being 
protected  by  the  eight  batteries  of  Col.  Lee.  Gen.  Stuart's 
cavalry  was  posted  on  the  right  and  left  wings,  and  batteries 
were  so  disposed  as  to  serve  as  supports  to  the  advancing 
columns,  or  repulse  the  onset  of  the  enemy. 

The  Federal  army  adapted  its  line,  in  some  measure,  to  our 
own.  It  curved  backward  from  the  centre,  following  the 
conformation  of  our  two  wings,  and  is  said  to  have  embraced 
Gen.  Heintzelman  on  the  right ;  Gen.  McDowell  on  the  left ; 
and  Porter,  Siegel,  and  Reno  in  the  centre.  Their  batteries 
were  disposed  in  a  manner  similar  to  our  own,  and  their 
cavalry  held  well  in  hand  to  take  an  active  part  in  the 
battle. 

It  was  in  this  attitude  that  the  two  armies  remained  in  face 
of  each  other  for  many  hours — neither  advancing  to  the 
attack.  Gen.  Lee's  policy  was  plainly  to  await  the  assault  in 
his  strong  position  behind  the  railroad,  and  on  the  high 
ground  of  the  Groveton  heights — thus  forcing  the  enemy 
either  to  attack  him,  or  retire  across  Bull  Run,  for  supplies, 
pursued  by  the  Southern  troops.  Gen.  Lee  could  hold  his 
position  indefinitely,  having  uninterrupted  communication 
with  his  rear ;  but  the  Federal  general  was  forced  to  fia'ht  or 
retreat — and  the  obvious  policy  was  to  await  his  advance. 

The  strength  of  our  position  was  evidently  appreciated, 
and  persistent  attempts  were  made  to  draw  the  Southern 
troops  from  it.  About  one  o'clock  a  feint  was  made  upon  our 
right,  and  a  brisk  encounter  took  place  between  the  advance 
forces ;  but  the  enemy  were  speedily  driven  back  with  artil 
lery,  and  our  troops  retained  their  position.  Heavy  masses 
then  moved  in  the  direction  of  our  left,  and  Gen.  Jackson 
prepared  for  an  instant  renewal  of  the  fierce  conflict  of  the 
preceding  day.  Several  demonstrations  were  made,  but  the 
failure  here  was  as  marked  as  it  had  been  on  the  right — and 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  185 

the  Federal  forces  withdrew,  apparently  designing  .to  fall  back 
in  the  direction  of  Manassas. 

These  movements,  during  the  whole  forenoon,  and  up  to 
four  in  the  evening,  were  vigilantly  watched  by  our  generals. 
The  great  drama  evidently  absorbed  all  their  attention,  and, 
though  outwardly  calm,  the  latent  fire  of  the  eye  showed  that 
the  design  of  the  enemy  was  fully  understood,  and  every  thing 
ready  for  the  earnest  work  which  would  speedily  succeed  all 
this  manoeuvring,  these  elaborate  ruses  and  feints.  The  enemy 
had  completely  failed  in  achieving  their  object — they  had 
attempted  in  vain  to  deceive  the  wary  eyes  of  Lee  and  Jack 
son  and  Longstreet — and  they  now  prepared  to  abandon  their 
useless  movements,  and  trust  the  event  of  the  day  to  superior 
numbers  and  stubborn  fighting. 

The  Southern  troops  had  witnessed  the  complicated  evolu 
tions  of  the  enemy  across  the  wide  fields  and  through  the 
forest,  with  little  anxiety.  The  conflict  of  the  preceding  day 
had  given  them  confidence,  and  the  men  lay  down  in  line-of- 
battle,  laughing  and  jesting.  Virginians,  Georgians,  Ala- 
bamians,  Mississippians,  Texans,  Floridians,  Carolinians — all 
awaited  the  development  of  the  enemy's  designs  with  entire 
calmness,  and  a  species  of  indifference  which  was  very  striking. 
They  were  in  this  careless  mood — some  talking,  others  jesting, 
others  again  sleeping  beneath  the  warm  August  sky,  when 
suddenly  the  roar  of  thirty  pieces  of  artillery  shook  the 
ground,  and  filled  the  air  with  their  tremendous  reverbera 
tions.  Every  man  started  to  his  feet — and  the  cause  of  the 
heavy  cannonade  was  plain. 

The  enemy,  entirely  foiled  in  their  attempt  to  draw  us  from 
the  heights,  had  suddenly  advanced  at  a  double  quick,  as  be 
fore,  against  our  centre,  where  Jackson's  right  and  Long- 
street's  left  came  together.  The  attack  was  made  upon 
Jackson's  line  first,  by  a  dense  column  of  infantry,  which  had 
been  massed  in  a  strip  of  woods,  in  close  vicinity  to  Grove- 
ton.  Three  heavy  lines  had  been  formed  for  the  charge,  and 


186  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

as  the  first  of  these  lines  emerged  at  a  double  quick  from  tho 
woods,  they  were  greeted  with  the  murderous  fire  above  de 
scribed.  Col.  Lee  had  opeued  upon  them  with  all  his  war- 
dogs  at  once,  and  the  writer  of  these  lines  has  never,  durino- 
his  whole  experience,  witnessed  such  handling  of  artillery. 
The  fiery  storm  was  directed  with  astonishing  accuracy,  and 
the  brigades  which  led  the  charge  were  almost  annihilated  b}- 
the  shot  and  shell  which  burst  before,  behind,  above,  to  the. 
right,  to  the  left — raking  and  tearing  them  to  pieces.  The) 
were  swept  away  before  this  horrible  fire,  like  leaves  in  tlu 
wind,  and  disappeared,  broken  and  flying  in  the  woods — 
to  be  immediately  succeeded,  however,  by  another  brigade 
charging  as  before.  Again  the  iron  storm  crashed  through 
the  ranks;  and  again  they  broke  and  ran.  A  third  force, 
heavier  than  before,  now  advanced  with  mad  rapidity,  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  awful  fire  of  our  batteries,  threw  themselves 
upon  Jackson,  and  engaged  him  with  desperation.  Reserves 
followed  5  and  the  fight  became  furious — Jackson's  troops 
mowing  down  their  opponents,  but  suffering  heavily  them 
selves. 

We  shall  continue  our  description  now  in  the  graphic 
words  of  "  Personne,"  the  writer  formerly  quoted  from,  who 
after  speaking  of  the  three  lines  pushed  against  our  troops  by 
the  Federals,  says : 

"Jackson's  infantry  raked  these  three  columns  terribly. 
Repeatedly  did  they  break  and  run,  and  rally  again  under  the 
energetic  appeals  of  their  officers,  for  it  was  a  crack  corps  of 
the  Federal  army — that  of  General  Sykes  and  Morrell ;  but 
it  was  not  in  human  nature  to  stand  unflinchingly  before  that 
hurricane  of  fire.  As  the  fight  progressed  Lee  moved  his 
batteries  to  the  left,  until  reaching  a  position  only  four  hun 
dred  yards  distant  from  the  enemy's  lines,  he  opened  again. 
The  spectacle  was  now  magnificent.  As  shell  after  shell  burst 
in  the  wavering  ranks,  and  round  shot  ploughed  broad  gaps 
among  them,  you  could  distinctly  see  through  the  rifts  of 
smoke  the  Federal  soldiers  falling  and  flying  on  every  side. 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSOX.  187 

With  the  explosion  of  every  bomb,  it  seemed  as  if  scores 
dropped  dead  or  writhed  in  agony  upon  the  field.  Some  were 
crawling  on  their  hands  and  knees,  some  were  piled  up  to 
gether,  and  some  were  lying  scattered  around  in  every  attitude 
that  imagination  can  conceive. 

"  With  the  dispersion  of  the  enemy's  reserve,  the  whole 
mass  broke  and  ran  like  a  flock  of  wild  sheep.  Jackson's 
men,  yelling  like  devils,  now  charged  upon  the  scattered 
crowd;  but  you  could  notice  that  they  themselves  had  severely 
suffered,  and  were  but  a  handful  compared  with  the  over 
whelming  forces  of  the  enemy.  The  flags  of  two  or  three 
regiments  did  not  appear  to  be  more  than  fifty  yards  apart 
The  brilliant  affair  did  not  occupy  more  than  half  an  hour ; 
but  in  that  brief  time  over  three  hundred  and  fifty  Yankee 
souls  had  been  launched  into  eternity,  and  five  times  that 
number  left  mangled  on  the  ground.  It  was  like  the  waves 
rolling  against  a  solid  rock,  and  dashing  back  in  showers  of 
spray.  A  golden  opportunity  was  now  at  hand  for  Longstreet 
to  attack  the  exposed  left  flank  of  the  enemy  in  front  of  him  ; 
and  he  accordingly  ordered  the  advance  of  Hood's  division, 
which  moved  obliquely  to  the  right  and  forward  of  the  posi 
tion  it  had  occupied.  Kemper  next  followed,  with  the  brigade 
of  General  Jenkins  on  the  right  of  that  of  Pickett,  and  Jones' 
division  completed  our  line  of  battle.  The  brigade  of  Evans 
acted  as  a  support  to  Hood. 

"  Not  many  minutes  elapsed  after  the  order  to  attack,  before 
tlie  volleys  of  platoons,  and  finally  the  rolling  reports  of  long 
lines  of  musketry,  indicated  that  the  battle  was  in  full  prog 
ress.  The  whole  army  was  now  in  motion.  The  woods  were 
full  of  troops,  and  the  order  for  the  supports  to  forward  at  a 
quick  step  was  received  with  enthusiastic  cheers  by  the  elated 
men.  The  din  was  almost  deafening.  The  heavy  notes  of 
the  artillery,  at  first  deliberate,  but  gradually  increasing  in 
rapidity,  mingled  with  the  sharp  treble  of  the  small-arms, 
gave  one  an  idea  of  some  diabolical  concert  in  which  all  the 
furies  of  hell  were  at  work.  Through  the  woods,  over  gently 
rolling  hills,  now  and  then  through  an  open. field,  we  travel 
toward  the  front.  From  an  elevation  we  obtain  a  view  of  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  field.  Hood  and  Kemper  are  now 
hard  at  it,  and  as  they  press  forward,  never  yielding  an  inch, 
sometimes  at  a  double-quick,  you  hear  those  unmistakable  yells 
which  tell  of  a  Southern  charge  or  a  Southern  success. 


188  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

"  The  troops  they  encounter  are  the  best  disciplined  in  tl  e 
Yankee  army,  and  for  a  little  while  most  obstinately  do  they 
contest  every  inch  of  ground  over  which  we  advance.  Noth 
ing,  however,  can  withstand  the  impetuosity  of  our  boys. 
Every  line  of  the  enemy  has  been  broken  and  dispersed,  but 
nllies  again  upon  some  other  position  behind.  Hood  h.'.s 
already  advanced  his  division  nearly  half  a  mile  at  a  double 
quick — the  Texans,  Georgians,  and  Hampton  Legion  loading 
and  firing  as  they  run,  yelling  all  the  while  like  madmen. 
They  have  captured  one  or  two  batteries  and  various  "stands  of 
colors,  and  are  still  pushing  the  enemy  before  them.  Evan.;, 
at  the  head  of  his  brigade,  is  following  on  the  right,  as  their 
support,  and  pouring  in  his  effective  volleys.  Jenkins  luis 
come  in  on  the  right  of  the  Quinn  House,  and,  like  an  av?  - 
lanche,  sweeps  down  upon  the  legions  before  him  with  resist 
less  force.  Still  further  to  the  right  is  Longstreet's  oM 
brigade,  composed  of  Virginians,  veterans  of  every  battle 
field,  all  of  whom  are  fighting  like  furies.  The  First  Virginia, 
which  opened  the  ball  at  Bull  Run  on  the  17th  of  Juh, 
1861,  with  over  six  hundred  men,  now  reduced  to  less  than 
eighty  members,  is  winning  new  laurels;  but  out  of  the  litth 
handful  more  than  a  third  have  already  bit  the  dust.  Toombj 
aud  Anderson,  with  the  Georgians,  together  with  Kemper  and 
Jenkins,  are  swooping  around  on  the  right,  flanking  the  Fed 
erals,  and  driving  them  toward  their  centre  and  rear.  Es- 
chelman,  with  his  company  of  the  Washington  Artillery, 
Major  Garnett,  with  his  battalion  of  Virginia  batteries,  and 
others  of  our  big  guns,  are  likewise  working  around  upon  tho 
enemy's  left,  and  pouring  an  enfilading  fire  into  both  their  in 
fantry  and  artillery. 

"  We  do  nothing  but  charge  !  charge  !  !  charge  !  !  !  If  the 
enemy  make  a  bold  effort  to  retrieve  the  fortunes  of  the  day 
(and  they  made  many),  and  we  are  repulsed,  it  is  but  for  the 
moment,  and  the  regiments  rallying  upon  their  supports,  plunge 
back  again  into  the  tempest  of  fire  that  before  swept  them 
down. 

"  Some  of  the  positions  of  the  enemy  were  strong  as  Nature 
could  make  them,  and  were  charged  five  or  six  times,  but 
each  time  our  soldiers  were  turned  back  by  sheer  physical 
inability  to  surmount  the  obstacles  before  them.  It  was  then 
grand  to  witness  the  moral  heroism  with  which,  though  their 
comrades  weut  down  like  swaths  of  grass  under  the  mower's 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  189 

scythe,  other  men  continued  to  step  into  the  path  of  death 
with  cheerful  alacrity,  and  still  to  fall  with  the  battle-shout 
upon  their  lips,  and  the  proud  smile  of  conscious  valor  on  their 
faces." 

Such  are  the  animated  paragraphs  of  "  Personne." 

Gradually  as  the  fierce  struggle  progressed,  the  sides  of  the 
open  V,  which  our  order  of  battle  resembled,  closed  upon  the 
flanks  of  the  enemy.  Colonel  Lee's  artillery  still  continued 
to  play  with  destructive  effect  upon  their  front,  and  the  bat 
teries  were  regularly  advanced  from  position  to  position,  raking 
from  every  hillock,  with  a  merciless  storm  of  shot  and  shell, 
the  lines  of  the  enemy. 

The  battle  has  now  become  terrific.  The  ruses  and  ma 
noeuvres  of  the  morning  had  long  yielded  to  desperate,  stub 
born  fighting,  and  the  day  depended  not  so  much  upon  any 
military  skill  of  the  generals,  as  upon  the  character  of  the 
troops  engaged.  The  Northern  man  was  pitted  against  the 
Southerner,  and  from  the  first  the  result  was  not  doubtful. 
The  enemy  fought  hard,  but  that  "  heart  of  hope,"  which  adds 
so  much  to  the  efficiency  of  the  soldier,  had  deserted  them,  and 
they  contended  doggedly,  but  without  the  dash  and  fervor 
which  compel  victory.  Gradually  the  great  Southern  lines 
closed  in  upon  them.  Longstreet's  right  pressed  down  upon 
their  left,  and  Jackson's  column  swung  round,  steady,  heavy, 
resistless,  upon  their  right,  huddling  the  disordered  regiments 
and  brigades  upon  their  centre. 

This  was  the  situation  of  affairs  as  the  sun  sank  slowly  toward 
the  west,  and  the  Confederate  leaders  now  concentrated 
all  their  forces  for  a  last  charge,  which  should  carry  every 
thing  before  it.  The  batteries  redoubled  their  exertions,  the 
air  was  hot  and  sulphurous  with  exploding  missiles,  whole 
ranks  went  down  before  the  whirlwind  of  iron,  and  the  con 
tinuous  streaming  roar  of  musketry  was  frightful  in  its  inten 
sity.  The  enemy  continued  to  give  ground  ;  our  reserves 
were  hurried  forward  to  the  front,  and  just  as  the  sun  sank,  a 


190  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

general  bayonet  charge  was  made  all  along  our  lines.  From 
the  dust  and  smoke  of  battle  there  appeared  all  at  once  befoie 
the  eyes  of  the  disheartened  Federals  a  rapidly  advancing  line 
with  gleaming  bayonets,  and  this  line  swept  forward  at  a  rui , 
with  the  resistless  power  of  a  torrent.  "  They  came  on,"  says 
the  correspondent  of  a  Northern  journal,  "like  demons  emei- 
ging  from  the  earth."  There  was  no  pause,  no  hesitation.  Th  3 
Federal  volleys  tore  through  the  line,  but  could  not  check  it. 
The  men  pressed  on  with  deafening  cheers  over  the  dead  and 
dying — the  ranks  closing  up  where  gaps  were  made — the  furv 
of  battle  burning  in  every  soul ;  and  before  this  resistless  charge 
the  last  remnant  of  hope  deserted  the  Federal  troops.  They 
no  longer  came  up  to  the  struggle.  They  broke,  ran,  and, 
pursued  by  the  pitiless  fire  and  gleaming  bayonets  of  the  Con- 
federates,  disappeared,  shattered  and  overwhelmed,  in  the  rapid 
ly  gathering  darkness. 

The  field  was  ours.  The  long  contest  was  ended  ;  victory 
assured ;  the  great  army  which  had  advanced  to  the  assault 
with  colors  flying  and  certain  of  victory  was  a  routed  and  deci 
mated  multitude,  which  now  thought  of  nothing  but  its  safety 
behind  the  sheltering  heights  of  Centreville. 

Jackson's  veterans  had  taken  their  full  part  in  the  despe 
rate  combat,  and  sweeping  down  upon  the  wavering  lines,  had 
led  the  wild  charge  which  put  them  to  final  rout.  The  fight 
ing  of  the  old  corps  had  been  obstinate,  dogged,  fatal,  as 
always.  They  had  sustained  every  assault  with  undaunted 
firmness ;  repulsed  every  attempt  to  force  them  from  their 
ground  ;  and  then  advancing  in  their  turn,  had  pushed  the 
enemy  from  position  after  position,  and  swept  onward  to 
victory. 

"  It  was  a  task  of  almost  superhuman  labor,"  says  the  cor 
respondent  from  whom  we  have  already  quoted,  "  to  drive  the 
enemy  from  those  strong  points,  defended,  as  they  were,  by 
the  best  artillery  and  infantry  in  the  Federal  army ;  but  in 
less  than  four  hours  from  the  commencement  of  the  battle  our 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  191 

indomitable  energy  had  accomplished  every  thing.  The  arri 
val  of  R.  H.  Anderson,  with  his  reserves,  soon  after  the  en 
gagement  was  fully  opened,  proved  a  timely  acquisition,  and 
the  handsome  manner  in  which  he  brought  his  troops  into  po 
sition,  showed  the  cool  and  skilful  general.  Our  generals — 
Lee,  Longstreet,  Jackson,  Hood,  Kemper,  Evans,  Jones,  Jen 
kins,  and  others — all  shared  the  dangers  to  which  they  ex 
posed  their  men.  How  wrell  their  colonels  and  subordinate  offi 
cers  performed  their  duty  is  best  testified  by  the  list  of  killed 
and  wounded. 

"  The  battle  raged  in  the  manner  .described  until  after  dark, 
and  when  it  was  impossible  to  use  fire-arms,  the  heavens  were 
lit  up  by  the  still  continued  flashes  of  the  artillery,  and  the 
meteor  flight  of  shells  scattering  their  iron  spray.  By  this 
time  the  enemy  had  been  forced  across  Bull  Run,  and  their 
dead  covered  every  acre  from  the  starting  point  of  the  fight 
to  the  Stone  Bridge.  Had  we  been  favored  with  another 
hour  of  daylight,  their  rout  would  have  been  as  great  as  that 
which  followed  the  original  battle  of  Manassas.  As  it  was, 
they  retreated  in  haste  and  disorder  to  the  heights  of  Centre- 
ville.  We  had  driven  them  up  hill  and  down  a  distance  of 
two  and  a  half  miles,  captured  between  twenty  and  thirty 
pieces  of  artillery,  several  hundred  prisoners  (though  few  sol 
diers  cared  to  be  troubled  with  the  latter),  and  some  six  or 
eight  thousand  stand  of  arms. 

"  The  field  after  the  battle  is  a  portion  of  the  history  of  the 
day  which  pen  cannot  fully  describe.  But  if  the  reader  can 
imagine  himself  standing  on  the  heights  around  the  old  Henry 
House,  and  looking  across  the  country  in  the  direction  in  which 
we  advanced,  over  the  gullies,  ravines,  and  valleys  which 
divided  the  opposite  hills,  he  will  see  dead  and  wounded  lying 
by  thousands  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  The  woods  are 
likewise  full  of  them.  It  has  been  remarked  by  every  one 
that  the  enemy  on  this  vast  hecatomb  outnumbered  us  five  or 
six  to  one.  They  lie  thickest  upon  the  slopes  and  summits 
where  their  batteries  were  planted,  and  the  infantry  were  drawn 
up  as  supporters,  in  many  instances  as  many  as  eighty  or  ninety 
dead  marking  the  place  where  fought  a  single  regiment.  It 
is  one  of  the  singular  coincidences  of  this  strange  battle,  that 
Hood's  brigade  encountered  on  Saturday  precisely  the  same 
troops  whom  they  met  at  Games'  Mill  in  the  battles  before 
Richmond — the  Duryea  Zouaves,  fierce  fellows  in  red  baggy 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

breeches,  red  skull  caps,  and  blue  embroidered  jackets — and  as 
on  that  occasion  literally  mowed  them  down. 

"In  front  of  the  Chinn  House,  which  is  now  a  hospital,  the 
havoc  has  been  terrible.  The  ground  is  strewn  not  ouly  wi  h 
men,  but  arms,  ammunition,  provisions,  haversacks,  cauteei  s, 
and  whatever  else  the  affrighted  Federals  could  throw  away  to 
facilitate  their  flight  before  our  onsets  at  that  point.  Seveial 
cannon,  broken  caissons,  wheels,  and  numbers  of  dead  horses 
were  also  to  be  seen  here. 

"In  front  of  the  position  occupied  by  Jackson's  men,  the 
killed  are  even  more  plentiful.  In  many  places  you  canii  )t 
walk  three  steps  without  being  compelled  to  step  over  or  around 
a  corpse." 

Such  was  the  great  second  battle  of  Manassas.  The  de 
scription  of  "  Person ne"  is  vivid  and  accurate,  though  it  omits 
many  facts.  The  part  taken  by  Major-general  Stuart  in  the 
events  of  the  day  was  important.  He  commanded  the  division 
of  infantry  which  toward  nightfall  made  the  vigorous  and  suc 
cessful  attack  upon  the  enemy's  left ;  and  his  cavalry  were  en 
gaged  on  the  flanks  of  the  army  throughout  the  day.  As  the 
enemy  were  giving  way  on  our  right  an  impetuous  charge  w  is 
made  by  a  body  of  cavalry  under  Col.  Munford,  of  the  2d  Vir 
ginia,  which  terminated,  after  a  close  hand-to-hand  conflict,  n 
the  complete  rout  of  the  largely  superior  force  brought  against 
him.  This  ended  the  conflict  in  that  part  of  the  field,  and  the 
enemy  broke  and  fled,  pursued  by  our  artillery  and  cavalry  1,0 
the  banks  of  Bull  Run,  over  which  their  confused  column  hast 
ened  on  its  way  to  Centreville. 

The  gallant  young  soldier  of  A.  P.  Hill's  division,  from 
whose  letter  to  his  mother  we  have  already  quoted,  has  the 
following  sentences  specially  relating  to  our  subject : 

"  Saturday  morning  —  day  ever  memorable !  for  it  broke 
the  back  of  the  great  lying  nation — our  corps  still  held  that 
ridge,  and  Long-street  formed  on  our  right,  obtuse-angled  to 
us,  so  that,  if  they  attacked,  upon  forcing  us  back,  their  flank 
would  be  exposed  to  Longstreet ;  and,  if  they  forced  him 
back  their  flank  would  be  exposed  to  us.  This  arrangement 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  193 

was  concealed  from  them,  so  far,  that  they  suspected  our 
strength  to  lie  to  our  left.  Skirmishing  and  distant  cannon 
ading  lasted  till  one,  p.  M.,  when  the  action  commenced,  and 
soon  grew  infinitely  furious.  But  they  were  out-generalled 
and  beaten  from  the  start,  and,  at  half-past  four  or  five,  p.  M., 
it  was  plain  that  they  were  terribly  whipped.  The  fight  was 
by  far  the  most  horrible  and  deadly  that  I  have  seen.  Just 
at  sunset,  our  wings  swept  round  in  pursuit ;  Jackson  swing 
ing  his  left  on  the  right,  as  a  pivot,  and  Longstrcet  in  the  re 
verse  method.  Their  dead  on  the  field  were  iu  such  numbers 
as  to  sicken  even  the  veterans  of  Richmond  and  the  Shenan- 
doah  Valley ;  they  left  2,000  dead — rotting  clay — and  almost 
innumerable  wounded.  Their  discipline  and  the  night  saved 
them  from  a  rout.  They  retreated  in  tolerable  order  to  Cen- 
treville.  'Twas  decisive;  their  whole  army  engaged — only 
two  corps  of  ours ;  and  their  loss,  I  think,  ten  to  one  on  our 
side." 


Thus  ended  the  bitter  contest  upon  the  weird  plains,  al 
ready  so  deeply  crimsoned  with  Southern  blood.  Strange 
Providence  which  rolled  the  tide  of  battle  there  again !  which 
made  the  huge  wave  break  in  foam  again  in  the  melancholy 
fields  around  Stone  Bridge.  It  was  a  veritable  repetition  of 
the  fierce  drama  of  July,  1861.  "Batteries  were  planted  and 
captured  yesterday,"  says  a  writer,  "  where  they  were  planted 
and  captured  last  year.  The  pine  thicket,  where  the  Fourth 
Alabama  and  Eighth  Georgia  suffered  so  terribly  in  the  first 
battle,  is  now  strewn  with  the  slain  of  the  invader.  "We 
charged  through  the  same  woods  yesterday,  though  from  a 
different  point,  where  Kirby  Smith,  the  Blucher  of  the  day, 
entered  the  fight  before." 

The  strength  of  the  invader  of  our  soil  was  broken  again, 
as  it  had  been  in  the  battle  of  the  21st  July.  Again  he  fied 
ignominiously  across  Bull  Run,  pursued  by  our  victorious 
troops,  leaving  behind  him  the  debris  of  a  panic-stricken  re- 
fc-eat.  In  August  of  1862,  as  in  July  of  1861,  the  writer  of 
these  lines  saw,  as  he  followed  the  retreating  horde,  the  rub 
bish  of  knapsacks,  oil-cloths,  swords,  guns,  bayonets,  ariiilury. 

9 


194  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

broken-down  vehicles,  and — worse  rubbish  still — dirty  Fede  -al 
stragglers  in  blue  coats,  with  coarse,  low-browed  faces,  full  of 
deceit  and  vulgarity — that  vulgarity  of  the  soul  which  is  in 
these  people,  and  can  no  more  be  rooted  out  than  the'spots  of 
the  leopard  can  be  changed,  or  the  skin  of  the  Ethiopian  made 
white.  All  this  crowded  upon  the  right,  along  the  same  road 
to  Centreville  over  which  Pope  retreated,  as  McDowell  h  id 
retreated  before  him,  routed  and  broken. 

A  few  words  will  terminate  our  sketch  of  these  great 
events. 

On  Sunday,  Jackson's  corps  was  again  in  motion,  a  id 
pressed  the  enemy  toward  Centreville.  General  Stuart  pur 
sued  with  his  cavalry,  and  fought  their  rear-guard  at  Cub  H  in 
Bridge,  which  they  burned  behind  them.  The  cavalry  mov  ;d 
to  the  left,  struck  into  the  Little  River  turnpike,  toward 
Chantilly,  and,  getting  into  the  enemy's  rear,  fired  into  thrir 
trains;  then — Sunday  evening — rapidly  retreating  toward 
Fairfax  Court-house.  On  Monday  morning,  the  advance  of 
Jackson,  who  had  changed  his  line  of  march  and  followed  t  le 
cavalry,  appeared  on  the  Little  River  road,  and  on  the  after 
noon  of  that  day — September  1st — a  brief  but  severe  en 
counter  took  place  at  Ox  Hill,  just  above  the  little  village  of 
Germantown.  The  Federal  force  engaged  was  a  portion  of 
Franklin's  corps,  which  had  taken  no  part  in  the  battles  of  the 
preceding  days,  and  the  contest  was,  for  a  time,  exceedii  g. 
obstinate — the  Federals  losing  General  Kearney,  and  othor 
prominent  officers.  The  battle  was,  however,  interrupted  by 
a  severe  thunder-storm,  and,  darkness  coming  on  soon  after 
wards,  the  enemy  took  advantage  of  that  circumstance,  and 
withdrew  from  our  front. 

On  the  same  night  they  retreated  from  Fairfax  Court 
house,  and  the  Confederates,  on  the  next  day,  entered  in 
triumph,  amid  the  joyful  exclamations  of  the  loyal  inhabi 
tants,  so  long  subjected  to  the  insults  and  oppression  of  their 
enemies. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  195 

Pope — like  Banks,  Fremont,  Shields,  and  Milroy — had 
passed  away  ;  his  lurid  star  obscured  by  the  clouds  of  dis 
aster  and  defeat.  The  star  of  Jackson  mounted  toward  the 
zenith — it  was  the  star  of  Victory. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

INVASION    OF    MARYLAND. 

THUS  ended  the  great  summer  campaign,  which  was  to  have 
"  crushed  the  rebellion"  before  the  forest  leaves  were  touched 
by  the  finger  of  autumn. 

It  had  commenced  with  boasts  and  braggadocio ;  it  ended 
in  ignominious  defeat.  General  Pope  had  advanced  with  the 
air  of  a  world-conqueror  about  to  exterminate  a  foe  whom  he 
despised.  He  slunk  away  with  his  shattered  columns  behind 
the  defences  of  Washington,  like  a  dog  who  has  been  met  by 
the  lash,  and  driven  howling  from  the  field. 

The  battle-flag  of  the  South  floated  proudly  where  the 
standards  of  the  enemy  had  flouted  the  air,  and  new  fields 
were  open  to  the  Southern  army.  Maryland  was  now  unde 
fended  ;  and  the  smoke  of  battle  had  scarcely  lifted  from  the 
plains  of  Manassas,  when  our  victorious  columns  were  in  mo 
tion  toward  the  upper  Potomac. 

Long  before,  Jackson  had  written  to  a  friend,  who  was  the 
recipient  of  his  most  private  feelings : 

"I  am  cordially  with  you  in  favor  of  carrying  the  war 
north  of  the  Potomac." 

It  would  appear,  that  from  the  beginning  of  his  military 
career,  he  had  looked  forward  to  an  invasion  of  the  enemv's 
territory  as  the  only  certain  means  of  bringing  the  war  to  an 
end ;  and  if  his  abruptly  terminated  campaign  toward  Pioin- 
ney  in  January  be  attentively  studied,  it  will  leave  the  im 
pression  that  even  then,  with  the  great  force  in  front  of  him. 


196  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

he  believed  that  greater  results  would  be  achieved  by  a  for 
ward  movement,  and  a  transfer  of  hostilities  to  the  region  be 
yond  the  Potomac,  than  by  falling  back,  and  yielding  posses 
sion  of  the  Valley,  to  be  overrun  and  plundered  by  the 
enemy. 

To  advance  seems,  indeed,  to  have  been  the  prime  ma>  im 
of  this  great  man's  military  philosophy — to  strike  the  j'oe, 
without  waiting  to  be  struck  by  him — to  make  him  feel  he 
horrors  of  war,  amid  his  own  homes,  and  thus  impress  ng 
upon  the  people  of  the  North  the  atrocious  nature  of  the  on- 
test,  compel  an  early  peace. 

The  signal  of  the  long-wished-for  advance  now  came.  "  Dn 
to  Maryland  !"  was  the  watchword ;  and  the  old  veterans  of 
Jackson  moved  forward  at  the  signal,  joyous,  elated,  confident 
of  victory,  and  burning  with  ardor  at  the  thought  that  ihe- 
fair  fields  of  Virginia,  the  homes  of  their  loved  ones,  would  be 
relieved  of  the  horrors  of  war. 

No  time  was  lost  by  Gen.  Lee  in  commencing  his  mo/e- 
meut.     It  was  necessary  to  gain  a  foothold  in  Maryland  be 
fore  the  disorganized  forces   of  the  Federal  government  w<;rei 
again  put  in  fighting  condition,  and  the  campaign  began  w  th 
energy  and  rapidity. 

Gen.  Jackson  having,  after  his  custom,  inquired  with  groat 
interest  what  roads  led  to  the  Potomac,  in  the  direction  of 
Arlington  Heights,  and  ordered  maps  to  be  prepared  of  the 
region  for  his  use,  put  his  troops  in  motion  toward  Leesburg.  \ 
Marching  by  Drauesville,  which  he  reached  on  September  od, 
the  second  day  after  the  battle  at  Ox  Hill,  he  arrived  at 
Leesburg  on  the  4th,  and  was  there  joined  by  the  other  corps 
of  the  army. 

On  the  5th  the  passage  of  the  Potomac  was  effected  with 
out  resistance.     It  is  said  to  have  been  an  inspiring  spectacle,  j 
Says  a  correspondent : 

"When  our  army  reached  the  middle  of  the  river,  whi-rh 
they  were  wading,  the  troops  were  halted,  Genera,!  Jackson 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL    JACKSON.  197 

pulled  off  Ins  hat,  and  the  splendid  bands  of  music  struck  up 
the  inspiring  air  of  '  Maryland,  my  Maryland,'  which  was  re 
sponded  to  and  sung  with  'the  spirit  and  with  the  under 
standing'  by  all  who  could  sing,  and  the  name  of  all  who 
could  then  and  there  sing  was  legion." 

No  pause  was  permitted  now  ;  and  the  army  pushed  for 
ward  rapidly  toward  Frederick  City,  which  the  advance 
reached  on  the  same  day.  We  shall  quote  again  from  "  Per- 
sonne,"  the  intelligent  writer  whose  letters  have  already  sup 
plied  us  with  particulars  of  the  movements  and  contests  of 
the  army.  The  paragraphs  extracted  are  valuable  as  present 
ing  the  impressions  of  an  eye-witness,  and  thus  affording  a 
life-like  picture  of  events  at  the  moment  when  the  pages  were 
written.  The  letter  is  dated  at  Frederick  City,  September 
7th,  two  days  after  the  arrival  of  the  Southern  army  : 

"Thus  far,"  says  "Personne,"  "we  have  everywhere  met 
with  hearty  hospitality.  Along  the  road  the  farmers  have 
welcomed  the  presence  of  our  men  with  a  sincerity  that  can 
not  be  misunderstood,  opened  their  houses  and  spread  their 
boards  with  the  fat  of  the  laud.  One  Marylander,  with 
whom  I  met,  has  fed  in  twenty-four  hours  six  hundred  hun 
gry  men,  free  of  charge.  Others  have  been  proportionately 
liberal. 

"  Our  reception  up  to  this  point  has  been  all  that  we  could 
desire.  With  a  few,  the  enthusiasm  has  been  highly  demon 
strative,  but  the  majority  content  themselves  with  quiet  mani 
festations  of  the  warm  sympathy  they  feel.  Nearly  all  the 
houses  along  the  route  of  march  were  open,  and  invitations 
were  freely  extended  to  the  officers  to  spend  the  day  and  night. 
A  slight  indication  of  the  grateful  outbursts  of  the  people 
was  in  the  presentation  of  a  magnificent  horse  to  Gen.  Jackson, 
by  the  farmers,  within  an  hour  after  he  touched  Maryland 
soil. 

"  The  advance  of  our  army  arrived  on  Friday  night,  and 
we  are  now  encamped  around  the  town.  Martial  law  has 
been  proclaimed,  a  provost  marshal  appointed,  and  a  strong 
guard  of  our  men  patrols  the  streets  to  preserve  order. 

"  In  the  sentiment  of  the  people  we   are  not  much  disap- 


198  LIFE     OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON". 

yet  1'ttle  openly  expressed  enthusiasm.  As  Jackson's  army 
marched  through,  the  houses  were  mostly  closed,  and  from 
between  the  window  blinds  the  citizens  could  be  seen  anx 
iously  peering,  as  if  they  expected  to  see  a  crowd  of  buga 
boos  intent  upon  nothing  but  rapine  and  slaughter.  A  le  v 
of  the  residences  were  open,  however,  and  in  those  lad  us 
and  gentlemen  were  waving  their  handkerchiefs,  and  display 
ing  the  Confederate  flag.  From  one,  the  residence  of  a  M ; 
Ross,  a  lawyer  of  high  standing,  his  family  were  distributing 
to  the  soldiers  as  they  passed  eatables  and  clothing  to  such  i.s 
seemed  most  needy. 

"Afterwards  the  family  invited  many  officers  to  the  hous'1, 
where  they  were  handsomely  entertained  with  wines,  cigar  5, 
and  other  luxuries.  Mr.  Ross  himself  has  been  confined  i:i 
Fortress  McIIenry  for  the  bold  stand  he  took  at  an  early  hour 
in  favor  of  the  South. 

"  As  soon  as  the  troops  were  encamped,  many  were  peif- 
mitted  to  enter  the  town,  and  in  a  short  time  it  was  thronged. 
Confederate  money  was  taken  without  a  murmur  by  all  who 
opened  their  stores,  and  for  the  first  time  during  the  can  - 
paign  we  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  purchasing  at  peace  prices 
the  articles  we  most  required.  Coffee  could  be  had  in  abui  - 
dance  at  twenty-five  cents  per  pound,  sugar  at  eleven  an  1 
twelve  cents,  salt  fifty  cents  a  sack,  boots  five  and  seven  dol 
lars  a  pair,  shoes  three  dollars,  flannel  forty  cents  a  yard,  and 
every  thing  else  in  proportion.  Lager  beer,  ice  cream,  date--, 
confections,  preserves,  all  found  ready  sale,  and  were  liberally 
dispensed  and  disposed  of. 

u  There  are  three  or  four  churches  in  the  town,  and  to-da^ 
they  are  filled  with  our  officers  and  men,  attending  divine 


"  Personne"  thus  continues  his  letter  on  Monday,  Septem 
ber  8th : 

"Frederick  to-day  presents  a  busy  scene,  more  like  that  of  a 
Fourth  of  July  festival  than  a  gathering  of  armed  invaders.  A 
majority  of  the  stores  are  closed  to  general  admission,  because 
of  the  crowds  eager  to  press  and  buy,  but  a  little  diplomacy 
secures  an  entrance  at  the  back  door,  or  past  the  sentinel 
wisely  stationed,  to  protect  the  proprietor  from  the  rush  of 
anxious  customers.  Prices  are  going  up  rapidly.  Every  thina 
is  so  cheap  that  our  men  frequently  lay  down  a  five-dollar  bill 


LIFE   OF.  STONEWALL   JACKSON. 


199 


to  pay  for  a  three-dollar  article,  and  rush  out  without  waiting 
for  the  change.  The  good  people  here  don't  understand  it. 
Bitter  complaints  are  uttered  against  those  who  refuse  Confed 
erate  money,  and  it  is  understood  that  the  authorities  will 
insist  upon  its  general  circulation. 

*•  The  people  are  beginning  to  recover  fr»om  their  surprise  at 
our  sudden  appearance,  and  to  realize  the  magnitude  of  our 
preparations  to  advance  through  and  relieve  Maryland  from 
her  thraldom.  Some  are  still  moody,  and  evidently  hate  us 
heartily,  but  we  are  more  than  compensated  by  the  warm  wel 
come  of  others,  who  now  begin  to  greet  us  from  every  quar 
ter.  Only  a  few  moments  ago  I  met  a  lady  who  confessed 
that  although  she  had  Confederate  flags  ready  to  expose  iu 
her  windows  as  we  passed,  she  was  afraid  to  wave  them,  lest 
being  discovered  by  her  Union  neighbors  she  should  be  re 
ported  to  the  Federals  in  case  of  our  retreat,  and  be  thereby 
subjected  to  insult  if  not  imprisonment  at  their  hands.  To 
assure  me  howr  true  were  her  sentiments,  she  introduced  me 
to  a  large  room  in  her  house,  where  there  were  fourteen  ladies, 
young  and  old,  busy  as  bees,  making  shirts,  drawers,  a*id  other 
clothing  for  the  soldiers. 

"  She  was  also  distributing  money  and  tobacco  to  the  sol 
diers.  Judging  probably  from  my  rags  that  I  too  was  in  a 
destitute  condition,  she  benevolently  desired  to  take  me  in 
hand  and  replenish  my  entity  throughout,  but  of  course  I 
declined,  and  though  I  could  not  help  smiling  at  the  ingenu 
ous  oddity  of  the  proposition,  a  tear  at  the  same  time  stole 
down  my  cheek  at  the  thought  of  the  sufferings  which  these 
noble-hearted  ladies  must  have  endured  to  prompt  the  unsel 
fish  generosity  by. which  they  endeavored  to  express  their  de 
light  in  our  presence. 

"  Though  thousands  of  soldiers  are  now  roaming  through 
the  town,  there  has  not  been  a  solitary  instance  of  misde 
meanor.  I  have  heard  no  shouting,  no  clamor  of  any  kind, 
and  seen  but  a  single  case  of  intoxication — a  one-legged  Yan 
kee  prisoner. 

"  All  who  visit  the  city  are  required  to  have  passes,  and 
the  only  persons  arrested  are  those  who  are  here  without 
leave.  This  quiet  behavior  of  our  men  contrasts  so  strongly 
with  that  of  the  Federals  when  here  as  to  excite  the  favor 
able  comment  of  the  Unionists.  None  of  the  latter  have,  to 
my  knowledge,  been  interfered  with,  and,  as  far  as  I  can 


200  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

learn,  it  is  not  the  policy  of  our  commander  to  retaliate.  "We 
shall,  on  the  contrary,  pursue  a  conciliatory  course,  and  by 
kindness  endeavor  to  show  these  misguided  people  that  our 
home  should  be  their  home,  and  our  God  their  God. 
•  "  One  of  these  Union  men  frankly  confessed  to  me  that  1  e 
feared  his  own  neighbors  more  than  he  did  our  troops,  and  l.e 
should  regret  to  see  us  depart. 

"  The  only  outrage,  if  outrage  it  can  be  called,  which  has 
taken  place,  was  committed  by  the  citizen  Secessionists,  wl  o 
entered  the  office  of  the  Frederick  Examiner,  a  Black  Repub 
lican  newspaper  of  the  darkest  dye,  and  tore  it  to  pieces,  tie 
editor  himself  fleeing  on  the  first  symptoms  of  our  advance. 

"We  pay  for  every  thing  as  we  go,  the  farmers  being  com 
pensated  for  all  damage  by  the  burning  of  rails,  use  of  forag  3, 
or  destruction  of  crops,  before  we  break  up  camp. 

"  We  are  told  by  Marylanders  that  we  shall  have  an  acce;- 
sion  to  our  ranks  in  this  State  of  over  forty  thousand  men, 
and  that  when  we  arrive  within  striking  distance  of  Baits- 
more,  twenty  thousand  men  will  rise  in  arms  and  join  our 
standard.  A  gentleman  from  that  city  informs  me  that  the 
excitement  there  is  intense,  the  streets  being  blocked  up  by 
the  crowds,  and  an  armed  force  of  cavalry  and  infantry  cor- 
stantly  patrolling  the  city  to  keep  down  the  increasing  signs 
of  a  revolution. 

"Recruiting  here  goes  on  rapidly.  Within  two  days  fiv3 
companies  have  been  formed,  and  it  is  stated  that  from  tli  3 
surrounding  country  over  seven  hundred  entered  our  ranks 
while  en  route. 

"Pennsylvania,  the  border  line  of  which  is  only  somo 
twenty-five  or  twenty-eight  miles  distant,  has  sent  us  nearly  ;i 
hundred  recruits,  who  prefer  service  in  the  Confederate  army 
to  being  drafted  in  that  of  the  North. 

"  Altogether,  our  movement  has  been  thus  far  marked  by 
the  most  gratifying  success.  Every  detail  has  been  success 
fully  carried  out,  the  troops  are  in  good  health,  and  full  of  en 
thusiasm,  the  commissariat  is  improving,  and  we  wait  for 
nothing  more  anxiously  than  the  order  to  resume  our  march 
onward." 


On  the  same  day  General  Lee  issued  his  expected  address 
to  the  people  of  Maryland,  which  the  citizens  and  the  army 
equally  looked  for  with  the  deepest  interest.  Up  to  this  mo- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  201 

ment  no  indications  of  the  intended  policy  of  the  invading 
general  had  been  given,  and  the  paper  was  seized  upon  and 
perused  with  avidity  as  soon  as  it  appeared. 


It  was  in  the  following  words : 


"HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  ) 
Near  Frederick  Town,  September  8th,  1862.  [ 

"  To  THE  PEOPLE  OF  MARYLAND  : 

"It  is  right  that  you  should  know  the  purpose  that  has 
brought  the  army  under  my  command  within  the  limits  of 
your  State,  so  far  as  that  purpose  concerns  yourselves. 

"The  people  of  the  Confederate  States  have  long  watched, 
with  the  deepest  sympathy,  the  wrongs  and  outrages  that  have 
been  inflicted  upon  the  citizens  of  a  commonwealth  allied  to 
the  States  of  the  South  by  the  strongest  social,  political,  and 
commercial  ties. 

"They  have  seen,  with  profound  indignation,  their  sister 
State  deprived  of  every  right,  and  reduced  to  the  condition  of 
a  conquered  province. 

"Under  the  pretence  of  supporting  the  Constitution,  but 
in  violation  of  its  most  valuable  provisions,  your  citizens  have 
been  arrested  and  imprisoned  upon  no  charge,  and  contrary  to 
all  forms  of  law.  The  faithful  and  manly  protest  against  this 
outrage,  made  by  the  venerable  and  illustrious  Marylauders, 
to  whom,  in  better  days,  no  citizen  appealed  for  right  in  vain, 
was  treated  with  scorn  and  contempt.  The  government  of 
your  chief  city  has  been  usurped  by  armed  strangers ;  your 
Legislature  has  been  dissolved  by  the  unlawful  arrest  of  its 
members  j  freedom  of  the  press  and  of  speech  have  been  sup 
pressed  ;  words  have  been  declared  offences  by  an  arbitrary 
decree  of  the  Federal  Executive,  and  citizens  ordered  to  be 
tried  by  a  military  commission  for  what  they  may  dare  to 
speak. 

"  Believing  that  the  people  of  Maryland  possessed  a  spirit 
too  lofty  to  submit  to  such  a  government,  the  people  of  the 
South  have  long  wished  to  aid  you  in  throwing  off  this  for 
eign  yoke,  to  enable  you  again  to  enjoy  the  inalienable  rights 
of  freemen,  and  restore  independence  and  sovereignty  to  your 
State. 

"In  obedience  to  this  wish  our  army  has  come  among  you, 
9* 


LIFE    OF    STONP:\VALL    JACKSON. 

either  at  Boonsboro'  or  Hagerstown,  I  have  now  forgotten 
which.  It  was  directed  in  the  same  order,  that  after  Jackson, 
Walker,  McLaws,  &c.,  had  taken  Harper's  Ferry,  they  were 
to  rejoin  the  main  army  at  Hagerstown  or  Boonsboro'.  That 
order  is  important  in  another  sense.  It  shows  very  clearly 
that  the  object  of  the  enemy  was  to  go  to  Pennsylvania,  or  at 
least  to  remain  in  Maryland." 

Let  us  see  now  what  movements  were  made  by  the  enemy 
to  check  the  advance  of  Gen.  Lee,  relieve  Harper's  Ferry, 
and  defeat  the  projected  invasion  of  Pennsylvania.  After 
the  battle  of  Manassas,  confusion  •  reigned  for  a  brief  period 
in  the  Federal  councils  at  Washington ;  and  the  advance  of 
the  Southern  army  was  regarded  with  a  terror  which  even  the 
official  documents  betray.  Not  only  the  people,  but  the  gov 
ernment  also  were  filled  with  dire  forebodings  of  the  terrible 
events  about  to  come  to  pass.  Troops  were  hurried  forward 
from  various  points  in  the  North  ;  the  remnants  of  the  army 
which  had  been  defeated  at  Manassas  were  collected  and  reor 
ganized  ;  all  the  reserves  which  had  not  arrived  in  time  to 
participate  in  those  great  contests  were  put  in  requisition, 
and  another  army,  heterogeneous  in  character  but  vast  in 
numbers,  was  at  once  ready  to  take  the  field.  McClellan  was 
assigned  to  the  command,  and  the  entire  force  was  rapidly 
sent  forward  by  railway  toward  Frederick.  Never  had  the  enor 
mous  resources  of  men  and  material  of  the  Federal  govern 
ment  been  more  strikingly  displayed ;  and  the  Southern  army 
was  called  upon  speedily  to  meet  a  new  swarm  of  foes,  brought 
forward  to  Washington,  and  thence  to  the  front,  from  the 
populous  hives  in  which — the  refuse  of  all  nations — they  had 
been  harboring.  McClellan  depended,  however,  upon  his  old 
levies — that  reserve  which  had  not  been  engaged  at  Manas- 
gas — for  the  hard  fighting;  and  with  the  huge  mass,  old  sol 
diers  and  new,  veterans  and  conscripts,  hurried  forward  toward 
Hagerstown. 

Meanwhile,  Gen.  Lee  had  commenced  his  operations,  look- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  205 

ing  to  the  reduction  of  Harper's  Ferry.  Gen.  McLaws  was 
sent  to  occupy  Maryland  Heights,  a  powerful  position  just 
opposite  the  town,  and  cut  off  the  enemy's  retreat  if  they 
attempted  to  fall  back  toward  Frederick;  while  Gen.  Jackson 
was  directed  to  march  straight  across  the  country  to  Williams- 
port,  take  possession  of  Martinsburg,  and  intercept  their  re 
treat  if  they  moved  up  the  river,  or  demand  the  instant  sur 
render  of  Harper's  Ferry.  Gen.  Jackson  could  take  care  of 
himself,  but  Gen.  McLaws  was  liable  to  be  assailed  in  the  rear, 
driven  from  his  position,  and  the  garrison  thus  relieved.  A 
strong  force  was  accordingly  posted  at  South  Mountain,  on 
the  main  road  from  Frederick  to  Boonsboro',  under  the  com 
mand  of  Gen.  D.  H.  Hill,  to  receive  the  attack  of  McClellan, 
then  known  to  be  advancing;  and  Gen.  Longstreet's  corps 
was  held  in  reserve  to  move  in  any  direction  which  the  exi 
gencies  of  the  occasion  demanded. 

The  enemy  appeared  in  front  of  the  position  occupied  by 
Gen.  D.  H.  Hill,  on  Sunday,  Sept.  14th,  and  immediately 
assailed  him  with  greatly  superior  numbers.  A  severe  con 
flict  ensued,  the  enemy's  numbers  enabling  him  to  gain  posses 
sion  of  the  commanding  ground  on  Hill's  left,  and  by  over 
lapping  both  wings  of  his  force,  to  press  him  back.  Couriers 
were  immediately  sent  to  Gen.  Lee,  announcing  the  position  of 
affairs,  and  Long-street  was  hurried  forward  to  Hill's  assistance. 
His  appearance  at  once  changed  the  face  of  things,  and  the 
enemy  who  were  rapidly  driving  Hill  back,  were  driven  back 
in  turn,  and  the  pass  in  the  mountains  held. 

Receiving  information  that  Gen.  Jackson's  movement  had 
entirely  succeeded,  and  that  Harper's  Ferry  would  fall  on  the 
next  morning,  Gen.  Lee  determined  to  withdraw  Gen.  Long- 
street  and  Gen.  Hill,  and  retire  toward  Sharpsburg,  where  his 
communications  would  be  uninterrupted,  and  his  army  could 
be  concentrated.  The  trains  were  accordingly  sent  forward, 
and  the  army  followed,  entirely  unmolested  by  the  enemy, 
reaching  Sharpsburg  about  daylight  on  Monday  morning. 


206  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Gen.  McClellan  hastened  soon  after  dawn  to  pass  through 
the  mountains,  and  push  forward  to  the  relief  of  Harper's 
Ferry.  But  he  was  too  late.  The  golden  moment  had  passed 
away — the  strong  arm  of  Jackson  had  struck. 

Gen.  Jackson  had  performed  the  work  allotted  "to  him  by  his 
great  commauder-in-chief,  with  that  raprdity,  accuracy,  and 
fatal  certainty  of  calculation  and  execution  which  never  failed 
to  characterize  his  movements.  While  Hill  was  contending 
with  McClellan  near  Boonsboro',  on  Monday  evening,  Harper's 
Ferry  was  already  invested.  The  summons  to  surrender  wa* 
at  first  refused,  and  time  was  asked  for.  But  delay  was  not  ;i 
favorite  word  with  Gen.  Jackson.  He  posted  his  guns  so  as  to 
command  the  town  on  every  side,  and  opened  upon  it  with  ;i 
fire  so  steady  and  irresistible  that  the  enemy's  guns  were  soon 
silenced.  The  result  is  told  in  the  following  dispatch  sent  on 
the  next  day : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  VALLEY  DISTRICT,  ) 
September  16,  1862.      j 

"  COLONEL, — Yesterday  God  crowned  our  arms  with  anothe- 
brilliant  success  on  the  surrender,  at  Harper's  Ferry,  of  Briga 
dier-general  White  and  11,000 'troops,  an^equal  number  of 
small-arms,  73  pieces  of  artillery,  and  about  200  wagons. 

"In  addition  to  other  stores,  there  is  a  large  amount  of  camp 
and  garrison  equipage.  Our  loss  was  very  small.  The  meri 
torious  conduct  of  officers  and  men  will  be  mentioned  in  v, 
more  extended  report. 

"I  am  colonel, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  T.  J.  JACKSON,  Major-general. 

"Col.  R.  H.  CHILTON,  A.  A.  General." 

It  has  been  truthfully  declared  that  the  capture  of  Harper's 
Ferry  was  worth  the  entire  campaign  in  Maryland ;  and  the 
splendid  results  achieved  induced  the  belief,  above  alluded 
to,  that  General  Lee  had  no  other  end  in  view  when  he 
advanced  into  that  country.  Such  a  supposition  is  exceedingly 
absurd;  but  the  capture  of  11,000  prisoners,  73  pieces 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  207 

of  artillery,  and  200  wagons,  is  an  amount  of  damage  done  to 
an  enemy,  which  few  victories  result  in. 

No  good  fortune,  however,  is  entirely  without  alloy,  and  the 
movement  against  Harper's  Ferry  had  withdrawn  from  General 
Lee  a  force  at  that  moment  infinitely  precious.  With  Jackson's 
and  McLaws'  commands  detached  from  the  main  body,  he  had 
been  compelled  to  fall  back  to  Sharpsburg,  in  order  to  unite 
his  army,  and  thus  instead  of  occupying  the  aggressive  attitude 
of  an  invader,  to  stand  on  the  defensive. 

General  Jackson  left  a  force  under  General  A.  P.  Hill,  to 
hold  Harper's  Ferry,  and  retracing  his  ste'ps,  rapidly  hastened 
to  rejoin  General  Lee  near  Sharpsburg. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

SHARPSBURG. 

THE  battle  near  Boonsboro'  took  place  on  Sunday,  Septem 
ber  14th.  Harper's  Ferry  surrendered  on  the  morning  of  the 
loth.  Tuesday,  the  16th,  was  occupied  by  both  combatants 
in  concentrating  their  detached  forces,  for  the  great  battle 
which  was  to  ensue. 

On  Wednesday,  September  17th,  the  two  armies  were  in 
front  of  each  other,  in  the  valley  of  Antietam  creek.  One 
who  was  present  thus  describes  the  ground : 

"  The  battle  was  fought  in  the  valley  immediately  west  of 
that  portion  of  the  Blue  Ridge  known  as  the  South  Moun 
tains,  and  to  the  east  and  north  of  Sharpsburg,  almost  in  a 
semicircle,  the  concave  side  of  which  is  to  the  town.  Unlike 
most  of  the  valleys  in  this  Blue  Ridge  country.  *  this  valley 
has  not  a  level  spot  in  it,  but  rolls  into  eminences  of  all  di 
mensions,  from  the  little  knoll  that  your  horse  gallops  easily 
over,  to  the  rather  high  hills  that  make  him  tug  like  a  mule. 
Many  of  the  depressions  between  these  hills  are  dry,  and  af 
ford  admirable  cover  for  infantry  against  artillery.  Others 


208  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

are  watered  by  the  deep,  narrow,  and  crooked  Antietam,  a 
stream  that  seems  to  observe  no  decorum  in  respect  to  its 
course,  but  has  to  be  crossed  every  ten  minutes,  ride  which 
way  you  will.  Sharpsburg  lies  on  the  western  side  of  the 
valley,  and  a  little  to  the  south  from  our  point  of  view.  Right 
across  the  valley  from  the  northeast  runs  the  turnpike  from 
Boonsboro'  to  Sharpsburg.  Two  little  villages — Poterstown 
and  Keetersville,  or  Keedysville — lie  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  valley,  at  the  foot  of  the  South  Mountains.  Numerous 
fine  farm-houses  dot  the  valley  in  every  direction,  some  stand 
ing  out  plainly  and  boldly  on  the  hill-tops,  others  half  hidden 
down  the  little  slopes ;  and  with  the  large,  comfortable  barns 
about  them,  and  their  orchards  of  fruit-trees,  these  hitherto 
happy  and  quiet  homes  greatly  enrich  the  view,  at  least  to 
the  eyes  of  old  campaigners.  Nearly  every  part  of  the  valley 
is  under  cultivation,  and  the  scene  is  thus  varied  into  squares 
of  the  light  green  of  nearly  ripened  corn,  the  deeper  green  of 
clover,  and  the  dull  brown  of  newly  ploughed  fields.  Toward 
the  north  are  some  dense  woods.  Imagine  this  scene 
spread  in  the  hollow  of  an  amphitheatre  of  hills  that  rise  in 
terraces  around  it,  and  you  have  the  field  of  last  Wednesday's 
battle." 

Such  was  the  field  upon  which  the  two  leaders  who  had 
already  met  upon  the  banks  of  the  Chickahominy  were  again 
to  contend  in  one  of  those  bloody  conflicts,  which  will  throw  a 
glare  so  lurid  and  baleful  upon  the  annals  of  this  period.  But 
the  circumstances  under  which  the  present  battle  would  be 
fought  were  very  different,  at  least  in  reference  to  the  army  of 
Lee.  Before  Richmond  he  was  in  command  of  a  large  force, 
well  provisioned,  and  in  good  fighting  trim.  Here  he  had 
only  the  remains  of  an  army,  which  the  immense  rapidity  of 
the  marches  had  scattered  all  along  the  roads,  and  not  even 
the  whole  of  this  force,  from  incompetence  or  neglect  of  or 
ders,  was  available.  While  General  Lee  was  fighting  at  Sharps 
burg,  all  Northern  Virginia  was  filled  with  stragglers,  preying 
upon  the  inhabitants ;  and  if  the  Maryland  campaign  achieved 
no  more,  it  was  beyond  all  value  to  us  in  this,  that  it  inaugu 
rated  a  system  which  permits  to-day  no  stragglers,  and  has 
given  us  an  army. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  209 

But  this  is  not  the  place  for  a  discussion  of  the  events 
which  took  place  in  Maryland.  History  will  tell  the  tale — 
our  pages  refer  only  to  one  actor.  Of  the  battle  of  Sharps- 
burg  we  present  the  following  animated  account,  taken  from 
the  letters  of  "  Personne."  This  graphic  and  generally  correct 
writer  presents  the  picture  of  the  eye-witness,  and  from  his 
narrative  an  idea  may  be  obtained  of  the  desperate  character 
of  the  contest : 


"With  the  first  break  of  daylight  the  heavy  pounding  of 
the  enemy's  guns  on  their  right  announced  the  battle  begun, 
and  for  an  hour  the  sullen  booming  was  uninterrupted  by 
aught  save  their  own  echoes.  McClellan  had  initiated  the 
attack.  Jackson  and  Lawton  (commanding  Swell's  division), 
always  in  time,  had  come  rapidly  forward  during  the  night, 
and  were  in  position  on  our  extreme  left.  What  a  strange 
strength  and  confidence  we  all  felt  in  the  presence  of  that 
man,  'Stonewall'  Jackson.  Between  six  and  seven  o'clock 
the  Federals  advanced  a  large  body  of  skirmishers,  and  shortly 
after  the  main  body  of  the  enemy  was  hurled  against  the  di 
vision  of  General  Lawton.  The  fire  now  became  fearful  and 
incessant.  What  were  at  first  distinct  notes,  clear  and  consec 
utive,  merged  into  a  tumultuous  chorus  that  made  the  earth 
tremble.  The  discharge  of  musketry  sounded  upon  the  ear 
like  the  rolling  of  a  thousand  distant  drums,  and  ever  and 
anon  the  peculiar  yells  of  our  boys  told  us  of  some  advantage 
gained.  We  who  were  upon  the  centre  could  see  little  or 
nothing  of  this  portion  of  the  battle,  but  from  the  dense  pall  of 
smoke  that  hung  above  the  scene,  we  knew  too  well  that 
bloody  work  was  going  on. 

"The  Federals  there  outnumbered  us  three  to  one.  Their 
best  troops  were  concentrated  upon  this  single  effort  to  turn 
our  left,  and  for  two  hours  and  a  half  the  tide  of  battle  ebbed 
and  flowed  alternately  for  and  against  us.  Still  our  boys 
fought  desperately,'  perhaps  as  they  never  fought  before. 
Whole  brigades  were  swept  away  before  the  iron  storm,  the 
ground  was  covered  with  the  wounded  and  dead.  EwelTs  old 
division,  overpowered  by  superior  numbers,  gave  back.  Hood, 
with  his  Texans,  the  18th  Georgia,  and  the  Hampton  Legion, 
rushed  into  the  gap  and  retrieved  the  loss.  Swell's  men,  ral 
lying  on  this  support,  returned  to  the  fight,  and  adding  their 


210  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

weight  to  that  of  the.  fresh,  enthusiastic  troops,  the  enemy  in 
turn  were  driven  back.  Reinforced,  they  made  another  des 
perate  effort  on  the  extreme  left,  and  here  again  was  a  repe 
tition  of  the  scenes  I  have  described.  For  a  time  they  flanket 
us,  and  our  men  retired  slowly,  fighting  over  every  inch  o;' 
ground.  It  was  a  trying  hour.  The  Federals  saw  their  .ad 
vantage,  and  pressed  it  with  vigor.  Eight  batteries  were  in 
full  play  upon  us,  and  the  din  of  heavy  guns,  whistling  and 
bursting  of  shells,  and  the  roar  of  musketry,  was  almost  deaf- 
eriiug. 

"At  this  juncture  Lee  ordered  to  the  support  of  Jacksoi 
the  division  of  General  McLaws,  which  had  been  held  in  re 
serve.  And  blessing  never  came  more  opportunely.  Ou:- 
men  had  fought,  until  not  only  they  but  their  ammunitioi 
were  well  nigh  exhausted,  and  discomfiture  stared  them  in  the 
face.  But  thus  encouraged,  every  man  rallied,  and  the  figh  , 
was  redoubled  in  its  intensity.  Splendidly  handled,  the  rein 
forcement  swept  on  like  a  wave,  its  blows  falling  thick  am 
fast  upon  the  audacious  columns  that  had  so  stubbornly  forcec 
their  way  to  the  position  on  which  we  originally  commencec 
the  battle.  Half  an  hour  later  and  the  enemy  were  retreat 
ing.  At  one  point  we  pursued  for  nearly  a  mile,  and  lasl 
night  a  portion  of  our  troops  on  the  left  slept  on  the  Yankee" 
ground.  The  success,  though  not  decisive,  as  compared  with 
our  usual  results,  was  complete  as  it  was  possible  to  make  it 
in  view  of  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  battle  and  the 
topography  of  the  country.  Certain  it  is,  that  after  the  ces 
sation  of  the  fight  at  half-past  ten,  the  Yankees  did  not  renew 
it  again  at  this  point  during  the  day.  They  had  been  de 
feated,  and  all  they  could  do  thereafter  was  to  prevent  us  from 
repeating  in  turn  the  experiment  which  they  had  attempted 
on  our  line.  It  was  beyond  all  doubt  the  most  hotly  contested 
field  on  which  a  battle  has  taken  place  during  the  war. 

"The  Fight  upon  the  Centre. — Soon  after  the  cessation  of 
the  fight  on  the  left,  the  enemy  made  a  strong  demonstration 
upon  our  centre,  in  front  of  the  division  of  Gen.  D.  H.  Hill. 
Here,  for  a  while,  the  contest  was  carried  on  mainly  by  artil 
lery,  with  which  both  the  enemy  and  ourselves  were  abundantly 
supplied.  The  only  difference  between  the  two,  if  any  at  all, 
was  in  the  superiority  of  their  metal  and  positions,  and  on  our 
part  the  lack  of  sufficient  ammunition.  .Battery  after  battery 
was  sent  to  the  rear  exhausted,  and  our  ordnance  wagons, 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  211 

until  late  in  the  day,  were  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Poto 
mac,  blocked  by  the  long  commissary  trains,  which  had  been 
ordered  forward  from  Martinsburg  and  Shepherdstown  to  re 
lieve  the  necessities  of  the  army. 

"As  indicated  in  the  former  part  of  this  letter,  our  artillery  • 
was  posted  on  the  summits  of  the  line  of  hills  which  ran  from 
right  to  left  in  front  of  th»  town.  That  of  the  enemy,  with 
one  exception,  was  on  the  rising  ground  at  the  base  of  the 
Blue  Ridge,  and  upon  the  various  eminences  this  side.  A 
singTe  Federal  battery  was  boldly  thrown  over  the  Stone 
Bridge,  on  the  turnpike,  nine  hundred  or  a  thousand  yards 
in  our  front,  and  held  its  position  until  disabled,  with  a  hardi 
hood  worthy  of  a  better  cause.  I  cannot  now  name  all  the 
positions  of  the  different  batteries — only  those  which  I  saw. 
Altogether,  we  may  have  had  playing  at  this  time  one  hun 
dred  guns.  The  enemy  having  at  least  an  equal  number,  you 
may  imagine  what  a  horrid  concert  filled  the  air,  and  how  un 
remitting  was  the  hail  of  heavy  balls  and  shells,  now  tearing 
their  way  through  the  trees,  now  bursting  and  throwing  their 
murderous  fragments  on  every  side,  and  again  burying  them 
selves  amid  a  cloud  of  dust  in  the  earth,  always  where  they 
were  least  expected. 

"  This  exchange  of  iron  compliments  had  been  kept  up  from 
early  morning,  but  at  eleven  o'clock  the  fire  began  to  concen 
trate  and  increase  in  severity.  Columns  of  the  enemy  could 
be  distinctly  seen  across  the  Antietam  on  the  open  ground  be 
yond,  moving  as  if  in  preparation  to  advance.  Others  were 
so  far  in  the  distance  that  you  could  recognize  them  as  troops 
only  by  the  sunlight  that  gleamed  upon  their  arms,  while  con 
siderable  numbers  were  within  cannon-shot  defiantly  flaunting 
their  flags  in  our  faces.  At  twelve  o'clock  the  scene  from  the 
apex  of  the  turnpike  was  truly  magnificent,  and  the  eye  em 
braced  a  picture  such  as  falls  to  the  lot  of  few  men  to  look 
upon  in  this  age. 

u  From  twenty  different  stand-points  great  volumes  of  smoke 
were  every  instant  leaping  from  the  muzzles  of  angry  guns. 
The  air  was  filled  with  the  white  fantastic  shapes  that  floated 
away  from  bursted  shells.  Men  were  leaping  to  and  fro,  load 
ing,  firing,  and  handling  the  artillery,  and  now  and  then  a 
hearty  yell  would  reach  the  ear,  amid  the  tumult,  that  spoke 
of  death  or  disaster  from  some  well-aimed  ball.  Before  us 
were  the  enemy.  A  regiment  or  two  had  crossed  the  river, 


212  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL  JACKSON". 

and,  running  in  squads  from  the  woods  along  its  banks,  were 
trying  to  form  a  line.  Suddenly  a  shell  falls  among  them, 
and  another  and  another,  until  the  thousand  scatter  like  a 
swarm  of  flies,  and  disappear  in  the  woods.  A  second  time 
the  effort  is  made,  and  there  is  a  second  failure.  Then  there 
is  a  diversion.  The  batteries  of  the  Federals  open  afresh ; 
tieir  infantry  try  another  point,  and  finally  they  succeed  in 
effecting  a  lodgment  on  this  side.  Our  troops,  under  D.  H. 
Hill,  meet  them,  and  a  fierce  battle  ensues  in  the  centre. 
Backwards,  forwards,  surging  and  swaying  like  a  ship  In  a 
storm,  the  various  columns  are  seen  in  motion.  It  is  a  hot 
place  for  us,  but  is  hotter  still  for  the  enemy.  They  are  di 
rectly  under  our  guns,  and  we  mow  them  down  like  grass. 
The  raw  levies,  sustained  by  the  veterans  behind,  come  up  to 
the  work  well,  and  fight  for  a  short  time  with  an  excitement 
incident  to  their  novel  experiences  of  a  battle ;  but  soon  a 
portiun  of  thfeir  line  gives  way  in  confusion.  Their  reserves 
came  up,  and  endeavor  to  retrieve  the  fortunes  of  the  day. 
Our  centre,  however,  stands  firm  as  adamant,  and  they  fall 
back.  Pursuit  on  our  part  is  useless,  for  if  we  drove  the 
enemy  at  all  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  it  would  be  against 
the  sides  of  the  mountain,  where  one  man  fighting  for  his 
life  and  liberty,  disciplined  or  undisciplined,  would  be  equal  to 
a  dozen. 

"Meanwhile  deadly  work  has  been  going  on  among  our 
artillery.  Whatever  they  may  have  made  others  suffer,  nearly 
all  the  companies  have  suffered  severely  themselves.  The 
great  balls  and  shells  of  the  enemy  have  been  thrown  with 
wonderful  accuracy,  and  dead  and  wounded  men,  horses,  and 
disabled  caissons  are  visible  in  every  battery.  The  instruc 
tions  from  General  Lee  are,  that  there  shall  be  no  more  artil 
lery  duels.  Instead,  therefore,  of  endeavoring  to  silence  the 
enemy's  guns,  Col.  Walton  directs  his  artillery  to  receive  the 
fire  of  their  antagonists  quietly,  and  deliver  their  own  against 
the  Federal  infantry.  The  wisdom  of  the  order  is  apparent 
at  every  shot,  for  with  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the 
enemy,  they  might  have  defeated  us  at  the  outset,  but  for  the 
powerful  and  well-directed  adjuncts  we  possessed  in  our  heavy 
guns. 

"  Time  and  again  did  the  Federals  perseveringly  press  close 
up  to  our  ranks,  so  near  indeed  that  their  supporting  batteries 
were  obliged  to  cease  firing,  lest  they  should  kill  their  own 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.         *  213 

men,  but  just  as  often  were  they  driven  back  by  the  com 
bined  elements  of  destruction  which  we  brought  to  bear  upon 
them.  It  was  an  hour  when  every  man  was  wanted.  The 
sharpshooters  of  the  enemy  were  picking  off  our  principal 
officers  continually,  and  especially  those  who  made  themselves 
conspicuous  in  the  batteries.  In  this  manner  the  company  of 
Captain  Miller,  of  the  Washington  Artillery,  was  nearly  dis 
abled,  only  two  out  of  his  four  guns  being  fully  manned.  As 
it -occupied  a  position  directly  under  the  eye  of  General  Long- 
street,  and  he  saw  the  valuable  part  it  was  performing  in  de 
fending  the  centre,  that  officer  dismounted  himself  from  his 
horse,  and  assisted  by  his  Adjutant-general,  Major  Sorrel, 
Major  Fairfax,  and  General  Dray  ton,  worked  one  of  the  guns 
until  the  crisis  was  passed.  To  see  a  general  officer  wielding 
the  destinies  of  a  great  fight,  with  its  cares  and  its  responsibili 
ties  upon  his  shoulders,  performing  the  duty  of  a  common 
soldier,  in  the  thickest  of  the  conflict,  is  a  picture  worthy  of 
the  pencil  of  an  artist. 

"  The  result  of  this  battle,  though  at  one  time  doubtful,  was 
finally  decisive.  The  enemy  were  driven  across  the  river  with 
a  slaughter  that  was  terrible.  A  Federal  officer  who  was 
wounded,  and  afterward  taken  prisoner,  observed  to  one  of  our 
officers  that  he  could  count  almost  the  whole  of  his  regiment 
on  the  ground  around  him.  I  did  not  go  over  the  field,  but  a 
gentleman  who  did,  and  who  has  been  an  actor  in  all  our 
battles,  informed  me  that  he  never,  even  upon  the  bloody  field 
of  Manassas,  saw  so  many  dead  men  before.  The  ground  was 
black  with  them,  and,  according  to  his  estimate,  the  Federals 
had  lost  eight  to  our  one.  Happily,  though  our  casualties  are 
very  considerable,  most  of  them  are  in  wounds. 

41  There  now  ensued  a  silence  of  two  hours,  broken  only  by 
the  occasional  discharges  of  artillery.  It  was  a  sort  of  breath 
ing  time,  when  the  panting  combatants,  exhausted  by  the 
battle,  stood  silently  eyeing  each  other,  and  making  ready — 
the  one  to  strike,  and  the  other  to  ward  off  another  staggering 
blow. 

"  The  Fight  on  the  Right. — It  was  now  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  but  notwithstanding  the  strange  lull  in  the 
storm,  no  one  believed  it  would  not  be  renewed  before  night. 
Intelligence  had  come  from  the  rear  that  General  A.  P.  Hill 
was  advancing  from  Harper's  Ferry  with  the  force  which 
Jackson  had  left  behind,  and  every  eye  was  turned  anxiously 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

in  that  direction.  In  £  little  while  we  saw  some  of  his  troop? 
moving  cautiously  under  cover  of  the  woods  and  hills  to  the 
front,  and  in  an  hour  more  he  was  in  a  position  on  the  right. 
Here  about  four  o'clock  the  enemy  had  made  another  bold 
demonstration.  Fifteen  thousand  of  their  troops,  in  one  mass, 
had  charged  our  lines,  and  after  vainly  resisting  them,  we 
were  slowly  giving  back  before  superior  numbers. 

"  Our  total  force  here  was  less  than  six  thousand  men,  and 
had  it  not  been  for  the  admirably  planted  artillery,  under  com 
mand  of  Major  Garnett,  nothing  until  the  arrival  of  reinforce 
ments  could  have  prevented  an  irretrievable  defeat.  I  know 
less  of  this  portion  of  the  field  than  any  other,  but  from 
those  who  were  engaged  heard  glowing  accounts  of  the  excel 
lent  behavior  of  Jenkins'  brigade,  and  the  2d  and  20th 
Georgia,  the  latter  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Cummings. 
The  last  two  regiments  have  been  especial  subjects  of  com 
ment,  because  of  the  splendid  manner  in  which  they  succes 
sively  met  and  defeated  seven  regiments  of  -the  enemy,  who 
advanced  across  a  bridge,  and  were  endeavoring  to  secure  a 
position  on  this  side  of  the  river.  They  fought  until  they 
were  nearly  cut  to  pieces,  and  then  retreated  only  because 
they  had  fired  their  last  round.  It  was  at  this  juncture  that 
the  immense  Yankee?  force  crossed  the  river,  and  made  the 
dash  against  our  line,  which  well  nigh  proved  a  success.  The 
timely  arrival  of  General  A.  P.  Hill,  however,  with  fresh 
troops,  entirely  changed  the  fortunes  of  the  day,  and  after  an 
obstinate  contest,  which  lasted  from  five  o'clock  until  dark, 
the  enemy  were  driven  into  and  across  the  river  with  great 
loss.  During  this  fight  the  Federals  had  succeeded  in  flank 
ing  and  capturing  a  battery,  belonging,  as  I  learn,  to  the 
brigade  of  General  Toombs.  Instantly  dismounting  from  his 
horse,  and  placing  himself  at  the  head  of  his  command,  the 
general,  in  his  effective  way,  briefly  told  them  that  the  bat 
tery  must  be  retaken  if  it  cost  the  life  of  every  man  in 
his  brigade,  and  then  ordered  them  to  follow  him.  Follow 
him  they  did  into  what  seemed  the  very  jaws  of  destruction, 
and  after  a  short  but  fierce  struggle,  they  had  the  satisfac 
tion  of  capturing  the  prize,  and  restoring  it  to  the  original 
possessors. 

4%  Throughout  the  day  there  occurred  many  instances  of 
personal  valor  and  heroic  sacrifice  on  the  part  of  both  officers 
and  men  ;  but  at  this  early  hour  it  is  impossible  to  gather, 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  215 

from  crude  statements,  those  truthful  narratives  which  ought 
to  adorn  the  page  of  history. 

"The  results  of  the  battle  may  be  briefly  summed  up. 
Judged  by  all  the  rules  of  warfare,  it  was  a  victory  to  our 
arms.  If  we  failed  to  rout  the  enemy,  it  was  only  because  the 
nature  of  the  ground  prevented  him  from  running.  Wherever 
we  whipped  him,  we  either  drove  him  against  his  own  masses 
on  the  right,  left,  and  centre,  or  into  the  mountains;  and 
against  the  latter  position  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
operate  successfully.  Nowhere  did  he  gain  any  permanent 
advantage  over  the  Confederates.  Varying  as  may  have  been 
the  successes  of  the  day,  they  left  us  intact,  unbroken,  and 
equal  masters  of  the  field  with  our  antagonist.  Last  night  we 
were  inclined  to  believe  that  it  was  a  drawn  battle,  and  the 
impression  generally  obtained  among  the  men,  that,  because 
they  had  not  in  their  usual  style  got  the  enemy  to  running, 
they  had  gained  no  advantage ;  but  to-day  the  real  facts  are 
coming  to  light,  and  we  feel  that  we  have,  indeed,  achieved 
another  victory.  Twenty  thousand  additional  men  could  not, 
under  the  circumstances,  have  made  it  more  complete. 

"  We  took  few  prisoners,  not  more  than  six  or  seven  hun 
dred  in  all.  The  Federals  fought  well,  and  were  handled  in 
a  masterly  manner,  but  their  losses  have  been  immense — prob 
ably  not  less  than  twenty  thousand  killed  and  wounded. 
They  had  the  advantage  not  only  of  numbers,  but  of  a  posi 
tion  from  which  they  could  assume  an  offensive  or  defensive 
attitude  at  will;  besides  which,  their  signal  stations  on  the 
Blue  Ridge,  commanded  a  view  of  our  every  movement  We 
could  not  make  a  manoeuvre  in  front  or  rear  that  was  not  in 
stantly  revealed  to  their  keen  look-outs,  and  as  soon  as  the  in 
telligence  could  be  communicated  to  their  batteries  below, 
shot  and  shell  were  launched  against  the  moving  columns. 
It  was  this  information  conveyed  by  the  little  flags  upon  the 
mountain  top,  that  no  doubt  enabled  the  enemy  to  concentrate 
his  force  against  our  weakest  points,  and  counteract  the  effect 
of  whatever  similar  movements  may  have  been  attempted  by 
us.  Our  loss  is  variously  estimated  at  from  five  to  nine 
thousand." 

The  above  narrative  sufficiently  describes  the  great  battle 
of  Sharpsburg,  in  which  our  forces  contended  against  over 
whelming  odds,  but  after  the  long  and  exhausting  conflict,  re- 


216  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

mained  in  possession  of  the  field.  The  enemy — great  as  wer3 
their  numbers — made  no  attempt  to  renew  the  conflict ;  and 
Gen.  McClellan's  statement  on  his  trial,  sufficiently  shows  hov 
powerless  the  Federal  army  was  for  another  assault.  "Thi 
next  morning,"  says  McClellan,  "I  found  that  our  loss  had 
been  so  great,  and  there  was  so  much  disorganization  in  som ) 
of  the  commands,  that  I  did  not  consider  it  proper  to  renew 
the  attack  that  day."  This  was  the  18th,  and  during  th  3 
whole  of  that  day  Gen.  Lee  remained  drawn  up  in  line-oi- 
battle,  ready  to  renew  the  conflict  if  the  enemy  advanced. 
His  army  had  suffered  serious  loss,  however;  reinforcements 
were  constantly  reaching  the  Federal  commander;  and  Leo 
determined  to  recross  the  river,  and  await  at  his  leisure  thoso 
additions  to  his  own  force,  which  he  expected  and  so  much 
needed. 

Accordingly,  on  the  night  of  the  18th,  having  previously 
sent  across  all  his  trains,  artillery,  and  stores  of  every  descrip 
tion,  he  moved  his  army  to  the  south  bank  of  the  Potomac, 
entirely  unmolested ;  and,  taking  up  a  strong  position  near 
Shepherdstown,  bade  the  enemy  defiance.  The  army  finishec 
crossing  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  and  throughout  the  day. 
a  heavy  cannonade  with  long-range  guns  was  kept  up  across 
the  river — Gen.  Pendleton  commanding  our  artillery.  On  the 
next  morning,  a  considerable  force  succeeded  in  crossing,  but 
being  promptly  met  by  a  portion  of  Jackson's  corps,  under  A. 
P.  Hill,  were  utterly  routed.  "  With  no  stop  or  hesitation," 
says  an  eye-witness,  "  using  no  artillery,  sending  his  men  in, 
steadily,  Gen.  A.  P.  Hill  drove  the  enemy  into  and  across  the 
river,  taking  300  prisoners,  and  making  the  river  blue  with 
their  dead.11 

This  engagement  was  brief,  but  one  of  the  most  deadly  of 
the  war.  It  stunned  the  enemy,  reassured  our  troops,  and 
discouraged  all  future  attempts  to  disturb  them. 

When  the  army  went  into  camp  in  the  beautiful  region 
along  the  banks  of  the  Opequon,  it  did  so  with  the  certainty 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  217 

of  not  being  molested — the  enemy  had  learned  a  lesson,  and 
were  quiet. 

The  Maryland  campaign  had  ended  in  one  of  those  retreats 
which  ruin  an  opponent.  Gen.  Lee  had  pierced  the  enemy's 
territory  unresisted  ;  had  cut  him  off  when  he  appeared,  from 
all  communication  with  Harper's  Ferry ;  had  captured  that 
place,  together  with  11,000  prisoners,  and  73  pieces  of  artil 
lery  ;  had  defeated  his  enormous  forces  in  a  pitched  battle  of 
incredible  fury;  had  remained  in  line-of-battle  during  the 
whole  succeeding  day ;  and  then,  determining  of  his  own  mo 
tion,  to  retire,  had  done  so  at  his  ease,  without  losing  a  wagon, 
and  wholly  unmolested.  Such  a  retreat  after  such  successes, 
was  a  victory,  and  there  were  many  persons  at  the  North  even, 
candid  enough  to  concede  the  fact.  "  He  leaves  us,"  growled 
the  JV.  Y.  Tribune,  "  the  debris  of  his  late  camps,  two  dis 
abled  pieces  of  artillery,  a  few  hundred  of  his  stragglers,,  per 
haps  two  thousand  of  his  wounded,  and  as  many  more  of  his 
unburied  dead.  Not  a  sound  field-piece,  caisson,  ambulance, 
or  wagon ;  not  a  tent,  box  of  stores,  or  a  pound  of  ammuni 
tion.  He  takes  with  him  the  supplies  gathered  in  Maryland, 
and  the  rich  spoils  of  Harper's  Ferry." 

Gen.  Lee's  address  to  his  army  upon  their  return  to  Vir 
ginia,  will  appropriately  conclude  our  brief  account  of  the 
great  campaign  to  which  ho  refers  : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  NORTHERN  VIRGINIA,  ) 
October  2d,  1862.  j 

"  General  Orders,  No.  116. 

"  In  reviewing  the  achievements  of  the  army  during  the 
present  campaign,  the  Commanding  General  cannot  withhold 
the  expression  of  his  admiration  of  the  indomitable  courage 
it  has  displayed  in  battle,  and  its  cheerful  endurance  of  pri 
vation  and  hardship  ou  the  march. 

"Since  your  great  victories  around  Richmond  you  have  de 
feated  the  enemy  at  Cedar  Mountain,  expelled  him  from  the 
Rappahannock,  and,  after  a  conflict  of  three  days,  utterly  re- 

10 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

pulsed  him  on  the  Plains  of  Manassas,  and  forced  him  to  take 
shelter  within  the  fortifications  around  the  capital. 

**  Without    halting  for    repose    you    crossed  the    Potonac, 
storming  the    heights  of  Harper's  Ferry,    made    prisoners  of1 
more  than  eleven  thousand  men,  and    capturing  upwards  of 
seventy  pieces  of  artillery,  all  their  small-arms,  and  other  mu 
nitions  of  war. 

"While  one  corps  of  the  army  was  thus  engaged,  the  other 
insured  its  success  by  arresting  at  Boonsboro'  the  combined 
armies  of  the  enemy,  advancing  under  their  favorite  general 
to  the  relief  of  their  beleagued  comrades. 

"  On  the  field  of  Sharpsburg,  with  less  than  one-third  his 
numbers,  you  resisted,  from    daylight    until  dark,  the  whole 
army  of  the  enemy,  and  repulsed  every  attack  along  his  en  ire ,; 
front,  of  more  than  four  miles  in  extent. 

"  The  whole  of  the  following  day  you  stood  prepared  to  re 
sume  the  conflict  on  the  same  ground,  and  retired  next  morn-; 
ing,  without  molestation,  across  the  Potomac. 

"Two  attempts,  subsequently  made  by  the  enemy,  to  follow 
you  across  the  river,  have  resulted  in  his  complete  discoi  ifi- 
ture,  and  being  driven  back  with  loss. 

"  Achievements  such   as  these  demanded  much  valor    ;  nd 
patriotism.     History  records  few  examples  of  greater  fortitude  ! 
and  endurance  than  this  army  has  exhibited;  and  I  am  coin--] 
missioned  by  the  President  to  thank  you,  in  the  name  of  ihei 
Confederate  States,  for  the  undying  fame  you  have  won  for 
their  arms. 

*'  Much  as  you  have  done,  much  more  remains  to  be  accom-  j 
plished.     The  enemy  again  threatens  us  with  invasion,  and  to  j 
your  tried  valor  and  patriotism  the  country  looks  with  confi 
dence  for  deliverance  and  safety.     Your  past  exploits  give  as 
surance  that  this  confidence  is  not  misplaced. 

R.  E.  LEE, 
General  Commanding" 

This  just  ana  admirable  summary,  makes  further  comment 
upon  the  glories  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  useless. 

These  words  have  inscribed  its  name  in  fadeless  characters 
upon  the  eternal  tablets  of  Fame. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL    JACKSON.  219 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  ARMY  RESTING. 

GENERAL  JACKSON'S  corps  passed  the  beautiful  month  of 
October  in  the  picturesque  Valley  of  the  Shenaadoah — that 
region  which  their  great  leader  had  already  made  so  famous. 

There,  in  the  bright  October  days,  the  army  rested,  and 
recovered  its  strength  and  spirits.  The  bracing  mountain 
breeze,  the  beautiful  skies,  the  liberty  to  engage  in  every 
species  of  fun  and  frolic,  within  the  limits  of  military  disci 
pline,  seemed  to  pour  new  life-blood  into  the  frames  of  the 
men,  exhausted  and  worn  down  by  the  immense  marches 
which  they  had  made  from  Cedar  Run  to  SJiarpsburg,  and 
the  toils?  privations,  hardships,  and  excitements  which  they 
had  undergone. 

Once  or  twice  only  in  all  that  time  did  the  enemy  appear — 
at  Martinsburg  and  Leetown,  on  reconnoissances.  But  Gen. 
Stuart  drove  them  back  with  cavalry  and  artillery,  and  a 
brigade  of  Gen.  Jackson's — thenceforth  they  did  not  come. 
The  gay-hearted  "  boys"  of  the  corps  returned  to  their  frolics 
and  camp  amusements. 

That  region  must  have  aroused  many  memories  in  the 
hearts  of  Jackson's  men — especially  in  the  members  of  the 
"  Old  Stonewall  Brigade,"  which  had  fought  the  enemy  all 
along  from  Falling  Waters  to  the  sources  of  the  Shenandoah. 
They  had  encountered  Patterson  in  one  of  the  earliest  en 
gagements  of  the  war,  near  Martinsburg,  but  a  few  miles 
distant — on  the  road  by  the  side  of  which  they  were  now 
encamped,  they  had  retreated  before  the  huge  columns  of  the 
same  general — and  along  that  road  they  had  pressed  after 
Banks,  when,  routed  and  overthrown  at  Winchester,  he  had 
hastened  to  recross  the  Potomac.  Since  those  old  days,  they 


220  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

had  fought  at  Cross  Keys,  Port  Republic,  Cold  Harbor,  M  il- 
vern  Hill,  Cedar  Run,  Bristow,  Manassas,  Ox  Hill,  Harper's 
Ferry,  Sharpsburg,  Shepherdstovvn,  and  Kern eysvi lie.  Co  n- 
rade  after  comrade  had  lain  down  to  die  upon  those  bloo  ly 
fields — face  after  face  had  "gone  into  the  darkness,"  an  id 
the  war  smoke  hovering  above  the  swamps  of  the  lowlai  d, 
the  pines  of  Manassas,  the  Valley  of  the  Antietam.  Thjy 
were  still  alive,  and,  after  all  their  wanderings,  had  return  3d 
to  the  land  where  they  first  learned  the  art  of  war  under  tlmir 
now  illustrious  chief — returned  to  it,  too,  at  a  season  whin 
the  face  of  nature  is  glorious  with  that  beauty  which  seems 
to  reach  perfection  just  when  it  is  passing — when  the  fields 
and  forest,  with  their  tints  of  gold,  and  red,  and  yellow,  are 
more  lovely  than  the  dreams  of  poets.  Here,  in  the  fine  and 
beautiful  Valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  on  the  banks  of  t  le 
Opequon,  which  murmurs  under  its  tall  trees,  as  it  lapses 
gently  toward  the  Potomac,  did  the  weary  soldiets  of  tie 
Stonewall  Corps  find  rest  and  refreshment ;  and  the  bracing 
air,  as  we  have  said,  made  them  boys  again,  filling  eve  y 
pulse  with  health  and  joy.  The  jest,  the  practical  joke,  the 
ready  laugh  passed  around;  and  for  a  time  the  whole  army 
of  Northern  Virginia  was  in  extravagant  spirits,  cheerii  g 
upon  the  least  provocation  like  a  party  of  boys,  and  permit 
ting  no  occasion  for  indulging  in  laughter  to  escape  them. 
We  have  a  letter  written  by  one  of  the  corps  about  this  tim-*, 
which  conveys  a  very  accurate  idea  of  the  manner  in  which 
Jackson's  men  amused  themselves ;  and  its  careless  style  and 
homely  details  may  serve  to  interest  the  stay-at-home  reader, 
who  is  not  familiar  with  the  "  goings  on"  of  an  army.  Here 
it  is: 

"  '  Cock-a-doodle-doo-oo!'  sounded  the  'shrill  clarion' of  a 
neighboring  hen-roost  before  day  this  morning;  a  wakeful 
soldier  caught  up  the  strain,  and  he  and  a  hundred  others 
forthwith  repeated  bogus  cock-a-doodk-doos,  until  they  h.nl 
effectually  '  murdered  sleep'  throughout  the  entire  regiment. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  221 

To  pass  the  time  till  breakfast  (!) — i.  e.,  till  some  '  solid  shot 
biscuit'  and  leather  steaks  of  lean  kind  be  cooked — I  will  '  re 
taliate'  on  you  and  your  readers. 

"  The  campaign  having  apparently  ended,  there  are  no  mov 
ing  accidents  by  flood  or  field  of  interest,  and  therefore,  noth 
ing  left  to  record  but  the  routine  of  daily  camp  life ;  this  shall 
be  true  to  history,  however,  to  let  the  old  folks  at  home  know 
hew  we  live  '  sure  enough'  while  here.  At  this  particular 
season,  though,  it  is  particularly  dull — 

'  No  mail,  no  post, 
No  news  from  any  foreign  coast ; 
No  warmth,  no  cheerfulness,  no  healthful  ease, 

No  comfortable  feel  in  any  member, 
No  shade,  no  sunshine,  no  butterflies,  no  bees, 
November !' 


"  Our  camp  not  being  regulated  by  military  rule  for  want 
of  material  in  tents,  &c.,  is  left  to  illustrate  the  variegated, 
architectural,  and  domestic  tastes  of  the  thousand  different 
individuals  concerned.  Eence,  although  a  wall  tent  or  Sib- 
ley  graces  an  occasional  locality,  the  most  of  the  men  en 
sconce  themselves  in  bush-built  shelters  of  various  shapes,  in 
fence-corners,  under  gum-blankets  eked  out  by  cedar-boughs, 
or  burrow  semi-subterraneously,  like  Esquimaux.  If,  as  is 
said,  the  several  styles  of  architecture  took  their  origin  from 
natural  circumstances  and  climate,  &c.,  as  the  curving  orien 
tal  roofs,  from  the  long  reeds  originally  in  use — the  slanting 
Egyptian,  from  the  necessity  of  baking  their  unburnt  bricks  in 
the  hot  sun — the  Corinthian,  from  its  own  flowery  clime,  <kc., 
&c.^-an  architectural  genius  might  find  enough  original  de 
signs  in  this  camp  to  supply  a  century  to  come. 

"  The  only  l  useful  occupation'  of  this  brigade  for  some 
time  past  has  been  to  destroy  all  the  railroads  in  reach  ;  ap 
parently,  too,  for  no  better  reason  than  the  fellow  had  for 
killing  the  splendid  Anaconda  in  the  museum,  because  it  was 
his  '  rule  to  kill  snakes  wherever  found.'  A  soldier  just 
said,  *  Old  Jack  intends  us  to  tear  up  all  the  railroads  in 
the  State,  and  with  no  tools  but  our  pocket  knives.'  They 
have  so  far  destroyed  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  from  Hedges- 
ville  to  near  Harper's  Ferry,  the  Winchester  and  Potomac 
almost  entirely,  and  now  the  Mauassas  Gap  from  Piedmont  to 
Strasburg. 

"  It  is  when  idle  in  camp  that  the  soldier  is  a  great  institu- 


222  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

tion,  yet  one  that  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  Pen  can 
not  fully  paint  the  air  of  cheerful  content,  care-hilarity,  irre 
sponsible  loungings,  and  practical  spirit  of  jesting  that '  obtains,' 
ready  to  seize  on  any  odd  circumstance  in  its  licensed  levity. 
A  'cavalryman'  comes  rejoicing  in  immense  top-boots,  for 
which  in  fond  pride  he  had  invested  full  forty  dollars  of  pay 
at  once  the  cry  from  a  hundred  voices  follows  him  along  the 
line  :  *  Come  up  out  o'  them  boots  !---come  out ! — too  soon  tc 
go  into  winter-quarters  !  I  know  you're  in  thar ! — see  your 
arras  stickin'  out !'  A  bumpkin  rides  by  in  an  uncommonl} 
big  hat,  and  is  frightened  at  the  shout :  '  Come  down  oui, 
o'  that  hat !  Come  down  !  'Tain't  no  use  to  say  you  ain't, 
up  there ;  I  see  your  legs  hanging  out !'  A  fancy  staf ' 
officer  was  horrified  at  the  irreverent  reception  of  his  nice 
ly  twisted  moustache — as  he  heard  from  behind  innumer 
able  trees — '  Take  them  mice  out  o'  yer  mouth  ! — take  'err 
out ! — no  use  to  say  they  ain't  -thar — see  their  tails  hanging 
out!'  Another,  sporting  immense  whiskers,  was  urged  tc 
4  Come  out  of  that  bunch  of  har  !  I  know  you're  in  thar  !  ] 
see  your  ears  a  working !'  Sometimes  a  rousing  cheer  it 
heard  in  the  distance,  it  is  explained — '  Boys,  look  out ! — here 
comes  Old  Stonewall,  or  an  old  hare,  one  or  t'other' — they 
being  about  the  only  individuals  who  invariably  bring  down 
the  house. 

"  And  yet  there  are  no  better  specimens  of  the  earnest, 
true  soldier,  than  the  men  of  this  brigade.  It  is  known  in 
the  army,  if  not  in  print,  as  '  the  fighting  brigade.'  It  is 
now  constituted  of  the  13th,  25th,  31st,  44th,  47th,  52d,  and 
58tli  Virginia  regiments — the  12th  Georgia,  one  of  the  most 
gallant  regiments  in  the  service,  having,  to  the  regret  of  all 
their  old  comrades  of '  the  mountain  brigade,'  been  transfer 
red.  The  brigade  has  been  represented,  by  some  of  its  regi 
ments,  in  nearly  every  battle-field  in  Virginia, — in  Northwest 
Virginia,  in  the  Valley,  on  the  Peninsula,  around  Richmond, 
from  Cedar  Run  to  Manassas  Plains,  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and 
when  reduced  to  scarce  five  hundred  men,  and  surrounded  by 
overwhelming  numbers,  it  fought  a  bloody  way  clear  out 
through  the  Yankee  lines  at  Sharpsburg.  Four  of  its  briga 
diers  have  been  wounded  in  the  service.  Generals  Ed.  John 
son,  Elzey,  Stuart,  and  Early.  Five  of  the  regiments  above- 
named  were  united  in  one  command  under  General  Ed.  John 
son,  whose  conspicuous  bravery  at  Greenbrier,  Alleghany,  and 
McDowell,  has  never  lost  its  example  upon  his  men.  The 
13th  and  49th  Virginia  have  been  since  united  with  it.  It  is 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  223 

at  present  commanded  by  Col.  J.  A.  Walker,  of  the  13th, 
a  gallant  officer  and  courteous  gentleman,  who  has  well  de 
served  a  brigadier's  commission. 

"But  the  whole  day  of  camp  life  is  not  yet  described  ;  the 
night  remains,  and  latterly  it  is  no  unusual  scene,  as  the 
gloaming  gathers,  to  see  a  group  quietly  collect  beneath  the 
dusky  shadows  of  the  forest  trees — 'God's  first  temples' — 
whence  soon  arise  the  notes  of  some  familiar  hymn,  awaking 
memories  of  childhood  and  of  home.  The  youthful  chap 
lain  in  earnest  tones  tells  his  holy  mission  ;  another  hymn  is 
heard,  and  by  the  waning  light  of  the  pine  torches,  the  weird- 
like  figures  of  the  grouped  soldiers  are  seen  reverently  moving 
to  the  night's  repose.  The  deep  bass  drum  beats  taps — the 
sounds  die  out  in  all  the  camps,  save  at  times  the  sweet  strains 
from  the  band  of  the  Fifth  Stonewall  regiment  in  a  neighbor 
ing  grove,  till  they,  too,  fade  away  into  the  stilly  night,  and 
soon — 

'  The  soldiers  lie  peacefully  dreaming, 
Their  tents  in  the  rays  of  the  clear  autumn  moon, 

Or  the  light  of  the  watch-fires  are  gleaming, 
A  tremulous  sigh  as  the  gentle  night  wind 

Through  the  forest  leaves  slowly  is  creeping, 
While  the  stars  up  above  with  their  glittering  eyes 

Keep  guard,  for  the  army  is  sleeping.'  " 

During  these  days,  General  Jackson  had  his  headquarters 
near  Bunker's  Hill,  and  was  often  seen  moving  to  and  fro 
among  his  troops  on  his  old  sorrel  horse  with  the  old  uniform. 
He  was  always  greeted  with  cheers  by  his  men,  and  the  phrase, 
"Jackson,  or  a  rabbit,"  became  universal  in  alluding  to  these 
gay  sounds,  heard  in  the  distance.  A  hundred  anecdotes  were 
told — a  hundred  witticisms  attributed  to  him.  In  Maryland, 
where  the  ladies  crowded  around  him,  he  was  represented  as 
saying,  "  Ladies,  this  is  the  first  time  I  was  ever  surrounded," 
in  spite  of  which,  says  a  letter- writer,  "  they  cut  every  button 
off  his  coat,  commenced  on  his  pants,  and  at  one  time  threat 
ened  to  leave  him  in  the  uniform  of  a  Georgia  colonel — shirt- 
collar  and  spurs."  Another  incident  was  related  of  him  by 
Colonel  Ford,  a  Federal  officer,  who  conversed  with  the  gen 
eral  at  Harper's  Ferry  : 


224:  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

"  While  we  were  in  conversation,"  says  Colonel  Ford,  "  t.  n 
orderly  rode  rapidly  across 'the  bridge,  and  said  to  Genenl 
Jackson, 'I  am  ordered  by  General  McLaws  to  report  to  yc  u 
that  General  McClellan  is  within  six  miles  with  an  immens  e 
army.'  Jackson  took  no  notice  -of  the  orderly,  apparently, 
and  continued  his  conversation ;  but  when  the  orderly  h?id 
turned  away,  Jackson  called  after  him,  with  the  question, 
1  Has  McClellan  any  baggage-train  or  drove  of  cattle  ?'  Tl  e 
reply  was,  that  he  had.  Jackson  remarked,  that  he  could 
whip  any  army  that  was  followed  by  a  drove  of  cattle,  alluc- 
ing  to  the  hungry  condition  of  his  men." 

These  anecdotes,  and  a  thousand  others,  were  passed  abov  t 
from  lip  to  lip,  and  "  Old  Jack  "—a  name  by  which  the  gei  - 
eral  had  now  become  universally  known — was  immensely 
popular.  We  have  already  referred  to  other  and  more  soli  1 
grounds  of  popularity  in  his  character;  but  these  familiar 
anecdotes  of  his  dry  humor,  truthful  or  not,  had  no  small  ii> 
fluence  in  rendering  him  the  prime  favorite  of  his  men.  Cei- 
tain  it  is  that  Jackson  was  never  more  popular  than  after  th  3 
Maryland  campaign ;  and  no  doubt  this  arose  in  a  great  meas 
ure  from  the  satisfaction  which  the  corps  experienced  in  hav 
ing  secured  the  really  solid  results  of  the  movement  at  Har 
per's  Ferry. 

The  army  remained  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  watching  tho 
movements  of  McClellan — who  was  in  front  of  their  position — 
until  November,  when  the  enemy  having  commenced  movini; 
toward  the  Rappahannock,  the  troops  were  put  in  motion  ii. 
that  direction. 

Jackson's  corps  formed  the  rear-guard,  and  slowly  movec 
up  toward  Millwood,  parallel  with  the  Federal  advance  from 
Leesburg.  His  measured  and  deliberate  movements  undoubt 
edly  retarded  their  advance,  suspicious  as  they  at  all  times 
were  of  some  sudden  and  dangerous  blow  from  his  well-known 
arm,  and  General  Lee  was  thus  allowed  ample  time  to  concen 
trate  his  forces  behind  the  Rappahannock. 

Jackson  remained  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia  until  about  the 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  225 

1st  of  December,  when  the  enemy  having  developed  an  inten 
tion  to  cross  at  Fredericksburg,  he  was  sent  for,  and  speedily 
appeared.  A  rapid  march  brought  him  to  the  fir-clad  hills 
around  Fredericksburg,  and  his  corps  encamped  beyond  the 
Massapounax,  entirely  out  of  sight,  ready  to  take  part  in  the 
events  which  were  soon  to  follow. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

FREDERICKSBURG. 

FOILED  and  driven  back  upon  every  line  of  advance — by. 
Manassas,  the  Peninsula,  the  Valley,  the  Rapidan — the  Fed 
eral  authorities  had  determined  to  try  a  new  route,  and  assail 
the  Confederate  capital  from  the  direction  of  Fredericksburg. 

General  McClellan — just  superseded  in  the  command  of  the 
army  by  General  Ambrose  Burnside — had  always  maintained 
that  this  route  was  impracticable ;  but  President  Lincoln  and 
the  new  commander-in-chief  thought  differently,  and  the  at 
tempt  was  now  about  to  be  made  with  all  the  power  of  the 
Federal  Government. 

Burnside  moved  his  army  down  to  the  rear  of  the  Stafford 
Hills,  just  opposite  Fredericksburg,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
month  of  November;  and  General  Lee,  who,  until  that  time, 
had  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Culpepper  Court-house, 
watching  his  opponent,  made  a  correspondent  movement, 
appearing  again  in  front  of  the  Federals,  and  ready  whenever 
they  advanced  to  give  them  battle. 

The  position  occupied  by  the  Confederates  was  a  command 
ing  one,  and  there  could  be  little  doubt  of  the  result  if  the 
enemy  assailed  them  in  their  stronghold.  General  Lee  had 
disposed  his  forces  along  the  crest  of  hills  which  extends 
from  a  point  on  'the  Rappahannock  just  above  the  town,  down 
to  Hamilton's  Crossing  on  the  railroad  to  Richmond,  about 

10* 


226  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.* 

four  miles  below.  Here  the  crest  sinks  suddenly  into  a  wido 
plain,  stretching  off  to  the  Massaponnax,  which  shuts  it  in  a 
mile  or  two  away.  In  front  of  the  hills  occupied  by  the, 
Southern  army,  a  broad  flat  reaches,  to  the  river,  about  a  mile 
distant,  and  upon  this,  just  where  the  ground  begins  to  rise, 
the  main  portion  of  the  battle  was  to  be  fought. 

Up  to  the  llth  of  December,  no  movement  of  any  import 
ance  had  taken  place,  though  the  enemy  had  made  numerous 
attempts  to  produce  the  impression  that  they  intended  to  cross 
below,  or  above,  not  at  Fredericksburg.  Their  troops  were 
seen  moving  to  and. fro  on  the  Stafford  Hills  opposite,  and  tht 
river  bank  was  heavily  picketed  down  to  Port  Royal,  and 
ajbove  United  States  ford. 

The  Confederate  generals  awaited  the  threatened  movement 
with  confidence,  and  a  well-grounded  belief,  that  in  spite  of  the 
numbers  of  the  Federal  army,  and  the  presence  of  such  men  as 
Snrnner,  Franklin,  Hooker,  and  others  in  command  of  grand 
divisions,  they  would  be  able  to  repulse  any  attack. 

It  would  seem  that  the  enemy  were,  on  their  side,  equally 
confident.  The  dismissal  of  McClellan  had  been  very  distaste 
ful  to  the  troops,  but  they  were  thoroughly  disciplined,  and 
ready  to  fight  under  any  one ;  and  the  Northern  journals 
extensively  circulated  among  their  camps,  had  sedulously  in 
stilled  the  conviction  that  the  "On  to  Richmond"  movement 
was  now  certain  of  success.  They  were  the  best  troops  in  the 
Federal  service — led  by  the  best  generals — in  thorough  fight 
ing  condition,  and  the  Government  at  Washington  appears  to 
have  looked  forward  to  a  "  glorious  success"  at  last,  to  make 
amends  for  all  the  failures  which  had  preceded  it. 

The  Confederate  commander  finally  received  reliable  intel 
ligence  that  the  enemy  had  finished  their  preparations  for 
crossing,  and  were  putting  their  troops  in  motion.  General 
Lee's  order  of  battle  had  been  determined  upon.  Long- 
street's  corps  was  to  hold  the  hills  from  the  extreme  left  to  a 
point  mid-way  to  Hamilton's  Crossing;  here  Jackson's  left 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  227 

would  join  his  right,  while  the  extreme  right  would  be  pro 
tected  by  General  Stuart  with  cavalry  and  horse  artillery. 

Before  daylight,  on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  December 
llth,  the  enemy  commenced  throwing  two  pontoons  across  at 
Fredericksburg,  one  above,  the  other  below  the  destroyed 
railroad  bridge.  While  engaged  in  this  attempt,  and  swarm 
ing  upon  the  boats  like  beavers,  a  destructive  fire  was  opened 
upon  them  from  the  southern  bank  of  the  river,  where  Briga 
dier-general  Barksdale  was  posted  with  his  Mississippians, 
and  this  fire  was  so  deadly,  that  it  at  first  drove  the  enemy 
back.  They  quickly  renewed  the  attempt,  however,  and  push 
ed  on  the  work,  in  spite  of  the  hail-storm  of  bullets  from 
Barksdale,  whose  gallant  troops  fought  with  desperation.  The 
heavy  fog  slowly  lifted  from  the  scene,  and  then  commenced, 
and  was  kept  up  all  day,  one  of  the  most  terrific  bombard 
ments  known  in  history.  The  writer  of  these  pages  had  a  full 
view  of  the  entire  spectacle  from  "  Lee's  Hill,"  just  to  the 
right  of  the  telegraph  road,  where  it  descends  toward  the 
town ;  and  never  before  had  such  a  sight  greeted  him.  The 
enemy  had  planted  more  than  a  hundred  pieces  of  artillery  on 
the  hills  to  the  northern  and  eastern  sides  of  the  town,  and 
from  an  early  hour  in  the  forenoon,  swept  the  streets  with 
roundshot,  shell,  and  case-shot — firing  frequently  a  hundred 
guns  a  minute.  The  quick  puffs  of  smoke,  touched  in  the 
centre  with  tongues  of  flame,  ran  incessantly  along  the  lines 
of  the  enemy's  batteries  on  the  slopes,  and  as  the  smoke 
slowly  drifted  away,  the  bellowing  roar  came  up  in  one  con 
tinuous  roll.  It  was  a  "  symphony  of  hell,"  truly.  The 
town  was  soon  fired,  and  a  dense  cloud  of  smoke  enveloped  its 
roofs  and  steeples.  The  white  church  spires  still  rose  serenely 
aloft,  unharmed  by  shot  or  shell,  though  a  portion  of  one  of 
them  was  torn  off.  The  smoke  was  succeeded  by  lurid  flame, 
and  the  crimson  mass  brought  to  mind  the  pictures  of  Moscow 
burning. 

The  incessant  fire  of  heavy  artillery  on  the  doomed  town 


228  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

was  kept  up  from  daylight  until  dark.  Barksdale's  gal 
lant  troops  never  flinched,  but  held  the  place  like  heroes, 
in  spite  of  the  terrible  enfilading  fire  sweeping  the  streets 
with  round-shot,  grape,  and  shell,  right  and  left.  Amid 
houses  torn  to  pieces  and  burning,  chimneys  crashing  down 
and  burying  men  in  the  ruins,  amid  a  fire  which  might 
have  demoralized  the  finest  soldiers  in  the  world,  they  still 
held  it. 

When  night  descended  on  the  scene  of  this  barbarity,  the 
flames  of  burning  houses  still  lit  up  the  landscape,  and  the 
roar  of  the  batteries  was  hushed,  except  a  random  gun  at  in 
tervals,  seeming  to  indicate  that  their  taste  for  bloodshed  and 
destruction  was  not  glutted. 

What  had  they  accomplished  ?  They  had  gained  posses 
sion  of  the  town,  which  may  or  may  not  have  been  intended, 
and  they  had  driven  out  and  slaughtered  citizens,  women,  and 
children.  One  young  girl  was  shot  through  the  hip — hun 
dreds  of  ladies  and  children  were  wandering,  homeless  and 
shelterless,  over  the  frozen  highway,  with  bare  feet  and  thin 
clothing,  knowing  not  where  to  find  a  place  of  refuge.  Deli 
cately  nurtured  girls,  with  slender  forms,  upon  which  no  rain 
had  ever  beat,  which  no  wind  had  ever  visited  too  roughly, 
walked  hurriedly,  with  unsteady  feet,  upon  the  road,  seeking 
only  some  place  where  they  could  shelter  themselves.  Whole 
families  sought  sheds  by  the  wayside,  or  made  roofs  of  fence 
rails  and  straw,  knowing  not  whither  to  fly,  or  to  what  friend 
to  have  recourse.  This  was  the  result  of  the  enemy's  bom 
bardment.  Night  had  settled  down — the  lurid  smoke,  lit  up 
by  burning  houses,  rested  on  a  torn  and  shattered  Virginia 
city,  filled  with  Confederate  and  Yankee  bodies — that  was  the 
"  supreme  result." 

Such  were  the  results  of  the  cruel  bombardment.  The 
enemy  held  the  town,  but  they  had  only  gained  possession  of 
it  at  a  frightful  loss  of  life.  Barksdale,  fighting  from  street 
to  street,  and  disputing  every  inch  of  ground,  fell  back  no 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  229 

further  than  the  suburbs  ;  and  here,  posting  himself  behind  a 
stone  fence,  held  his  ground. 

When  the  morning  of  Friday  dawned,  the  enemy  had 
thrown  across  additional  pontoons  ;  and  their  army  was  nearly 
over.  As  yet  they  had  not  been  saluted  by  a  single  shot 
from  our  artillery ;  and  they  no  doubt  felicitated  themselves, 
in  a  very  high  degree,  upon  this  circumstance.  Thus  Friday 
ended — the  night  passed — the  great  day  arrived. 

Gen.  Lee  had  disposed  his  forces  in  the  manner  already 
indicated.  Longstreet's  corps  was  posted  on  the  left,  with 
strong  batteries  along  the  hills  by  Marye's  house.  Jackson 
held  the  right,  with  Gen.  A.  P.  Hill  in  front  and  near  Ham 
ilton's  Crossing ;  Gen.  Taliaferro,  commanding  Jackson's  old 
division,  in  his  rear,  and  Gen.  D.  H.  Hill,  behind  the  crest 
of  hills,  in  reserve.  On  the  slope  of  the  hill,  just  where  it 
descends  toward  the  crossing,  Colonel  Lindsay  Walker  was 
posted,  with  Pegram's,  Mclntosh's,  and  sections  of  Cren- 
shaw's,  Latham's,  and  Johnson's  batteries — 14  guns.  On  the 
left  of  the  line,  near  the  Bernard  Cabins,  Capt.  Davidson 
was  stationed,  with  Rains',  Caskie's,  Braxton's,  and  David 
son's  batteries — 21  guns.  To  the  right,  and  two  hundred 
yards  in  advance  of  these,  Capt.  Brockenbrough  commanded 
Carpenter's,  Wooding's,  and  Braxton's  batteries — 12  guns. 
On  Jackson's  left  was  the  right  of  Gen.  Longstreet  under 
Hood  ;  and  this  was  just  at  the  centre  of  the  whole  line. 
On  the  extreme  right,  as  we  have  said,  beyond  Hamilton's 
Crossing,  on  the  extensive  plain,  diversified  by  woods,  General 
Stuart  had  drawn  up  his  cavalry  and  horse  artillery,  ready  to 
assist  in  repulsing  the  attack  upon  what  was  felt  to  be  the 
weakest  portion  of  our  line. 

Soon  after  daybreak,  the  troops  were  all  in  position,  and 
Gen.  Lee  rode  along  the  lines  accompanied  by  Gen.  Jackson, 
to  inspect  in  person  the  disposition  of  the  forces.  'On  the  old 
"  Richmond  road,"  leading  from  the  Crossing  to  the  Bowling 
Green  road,  Gen.  Stuart  joined  them,  and  they  proceeded  to 


230  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

the  outer  picket  lines,  close  on  the  enemy.  The  movement 
had  already  begun,  and  the  enemy  were  seen  advancing  across 
the  bottom  directly  upon  Gen.  Jackson's  position.  By 
direction  of  Gen.  Stuart,  Major  John  Pelham,  of  the  Stuart 
Horse  Artillery,  immediately  brought  up  a  Napoleon  gun,  and 
opened  on  their  left  flank ;  three  batteries  replied,  and  for 
many  hours  this  one  gun  fought  them  all  with  unyielding 
firmness.  Major  Pelham  and  Captain  Henry,  who  both  super 
intended  the  working  of  the  piece,  were  publicly  compli 
mented,  and  their  obstinate  stand,  in  an  important  position, 
unquestionably  had  a  most  valuable  part  in  demoralizing  the 
Federal  forces. 

Soon  after  daylight  the  enemy  began  to  feel  our  entire  po 
sition,  from  left  to  right,  with  infantry  and  artillery.  To  one 
who  had  witnessed  their  manner  of  proceeding,  it  was  evident 
that  the  Federal  leaders  were  wandering  in  the  dark,  and 
completely  puzzled.  There  was  no  generalship  displayed,  no 
power  of  combination  or  manoeuvring.  Their  lines  were 
pushed  forward,  and  when  mowed  down  by  our  artillery  or 
musketry,  new  ones  took  their  places,  and  the  wavering,  un 
certain  character  of  their  movements  continued.  The  fight 
was  on  much  more  equal  terms  than  is  supposed — with  this 
important  difference,  that  the  enemy  very  far  outnumbered 
us,  opposing  two  or  three  to  one  at  every  point  of  attack. 
Their  artillery  was  most  effectively  handled,  and  did  us  much 
damage,  as  the  casualties  in  that  arm  will  show.  The  writer 
was  present  in  this  portion  of  the  field,  and  recalls  an  in 
stance.  A  Blakely  gun  was  brought  up,  placed  in  position, 
and  opened  upon  the  enemy.  One  of  their  guns  was  instantly 
directed  to  the  point,  a  shot  crashed  among  the  cannoneers, 
and  a  boy  exclaimed,  "  General,  the  very  first  shot  has  killed 
two  of  our  men  !" 

About  ten  o'clock  the  fog  lifted,  and  the  enemy  were  seen 
rapidly  approaching  in  heavy  force — at  least  55,000  troops 
being  concentrated  upon  this  important  point.  They  were 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  231 

commanded  by  Gens.  Franklin  and  Hooker,  whose  orders 
were  to  gain  possession  of  the  old  "  Richmond  road,"  turn  the 
crest  of  hills  at  Hamilton's  Crossing,  and  assail  our  right  flank. 
Encouraged  by  the  silence  of  our  batteries,  the  enemy  pushed 
forward  directly  upon  Walker's  position,  and  were  suffered  to 
come  within  eight  hundred  yards  before  a  gun  was  fired. 
"When  they  had  reached  that  point,  however,  the  fourteen 
guns  opened  suddenly  upon  them,  with  terrific  effect,  and  com 
pletely  broke  and  repulsed  them.  No  troops  could  stand  be 
fore  the  iron  storm,  tearing  through  their  ranks,  and  Frank 
lin  could  not  immediately  re-form  his  men,  and  bring  them 
again  to  the  assault. 

About  one  o'clock,  however,  another  attempt  was  made  to 
carry  the  position — this  time  preceded  by  a  heavy  fire  of  artil 
lery  directed  against  Col.  Walker  and  Gen.  A.  P.  Hill.  Walker 
opened  all  his  batteries  in  response,  and  was  assisted  by  Pel- 
ham  on  the  right.  The  enemy's  force,  consisting  of  Frank 
lin's  and  Hooker's  grand  divisions,  were  evidently  staggered 
by  the  terrible  fire ;  but  re-forming,  pressed  on  and  closed  in 
upon  A.  P.  Hill  in  a  fierce  and  bloody  struggle.  Unfortu 
nately,  an  interval  had  been  left  between  Archer's  and  Lane's 
brigades,  and  of  this  the  enemy  took  instant  advantage. 
Pressing  forward,  Hill's  line  was  penetrated ;  Lane's  right  and 
Archer's  left,  turned ;  and  they  were  forced  to  fall  back,  though 
not  without  desperate  fighting.  Gaining  thus  a  position  in 
rear  of  that  occupied  by  Lane  and  Archer,  the  enemy  attacked 
Gregg's  brigade ;  and  in  this  contest  Gen.  Gregg,  while  at 
tempting  to  rally  Orr's  Eifles,  which  had  given  way,  fell  mor 
tally  wounded. 

Seeing  that  his  first  line  was  rapidly  being  forced  back  by 
the  overwhelming  numbers  brought  against  it,  Gen.  Jackson 
now  ordered  up  his  second  line,  consisting  of  the  commands 
of  Law  ton,  Early,  Trimble,  and  Taliaferro.  Their  appearance 
upon  the  scene  operated  an  entire  change  immediately.  In  a 
brief  but  decisive  combat,  they  repulsed  the  enemy,  and  fol- 


232  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

lowing  up  their  advantage,  drove  him  with  great  slaughter  to 
the  railroad  in  front  of  the  first  position,  taking  a  number  of 
prisoners.  So  far  was  the  pursuit  carried,  that  Jackson's 
forces  came  within  full  and  deadly  range  of  the  enemy's  artil 
lery,  and  full  upon  their  strong  reserves  of  infantry.  The 
ground  was  not  yielded,  however,  on  that  account ;  and  finding 
that  the  enemy  did  not  advance,  Gen.  Jackson  determined  to 
do  so  himself.  Their  artillery  was  so  posted  as  to  render  the 
movement  an  extremely  hazardous  one,  but  the  stake  was 
great,  and  Jackson  determined  to  take  the  risks,  and  if  possi 
ble  put  the  force  of  the  enemy  directly  opposed  to  him  to  com 
plete  rout.  Those  who  saw  him  at  that  hour,  will  never  forget 
the  expression  of  intense  but  suppressed  excitement  which 
his  face  displayed.  The  genius  of  battle  seemed  to  have 
gained  possession  of  the  great  leader,  ordinarily  so  calm  ;  and 
his  countenance  glowed  as  from  the  glare  of  a  great  confla 
gration.  His  design  was  to  place  his  artillery  in  front,  draw 
up  the  infantry  in  rear  of  it,  and  make  the  movement  just  as 
night  descended,  so  that  if  necessary  he  might  fall  back  under 
the  cover  of  darkness.  This  design  was  destined,  however, 
not  to  be  carried  into  execution.  Delay  occurred  in  making 
the  necessary  preparations,  and  when,  finally,  the  first  guns 
moved  forward,  the  enemy,  evidently  fearing  such  a  move 
ment,  opened  a  terrific  fire  of  artillery,  which  caused  the  aban 
donment  of  the  project. 

We  have  neglected  to  speak  of  the  events  which  occurred 
on  Gen.  Jackson's  right.  The  batteries  there  were  a  part  of 
his  command,  though  directed  by  Gen.  Stuart,  and  throughout 
the  day  fought  with  unyielding  obstinacy.  The  enemy  han 
dled  their  guns  with  skill  and  nerve,  but  they  were  no  match 
for  our  cannoneers.  Their  immense  reserves  of  artillery  were 
in  vain  brought  up  and  put  into  action — they  were  encountered 
and  silenced.  The  duel  between  the  opposing  batteries  was, 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  day,  most  terrific.  Col.  Walker 
was  particularly  exposed,  from  the  position  of  his  guns,  to  the 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  233 

deadliest  fire  of  the  Federal  batteries.  The  enemy  directed 
upon  him  a  storm  of  shell,  which,  bursting  incessantly  around 
and  about  him,  presented  a  spectacle  at  once  terrible  and  sub 
lime.  He  had  a  caisson  blown  up,  and  many  horses  killed. 
His  loss  was  also  considerable ;  but  the  roar  of  his  guns  never 
slackened.  Major  Pelham,  and  his  gallant  associate,  Captain 
Henry,  ably  seconded  Col.  Walker  from  the  right.  They  re 
turned  the  compliment  by  blowing  up  a  caisson  of  the  enemy, 
and  in  spite  of  three  batteries  in  front,  and  an  enfilading  fire 
from  heavy  guns  across  the  river,  the  Napoleon  and  Blakely 
continued  to  tear  the  opposing  ranks,  and  "  hold  their  own" 
obstinately  against  the  almost  overpowering  weight  of  metal 
brought  to  bear  upon  them. 

Toward  evening  the  battle  at  this  point  became  desperate. 
The  enemy  seemed  to-  be  fighting  with  the  madness  of  de 
spair,  and  to  be  possessed  by  the  devil  of  carnage.  Every 
species  of  projectile  known  to  modern  warfare  was  rained  upon 
the  fields,  from  guns  of  every  character,  all  sizes,  and  in  every 
position.  Round  shot,  spherical  case,  rifle,  Parrott — projec 
tiles  of  all  classes,  and  each  with  a  different  sound  in  its  pas 
sage  through  the  air,  showered  down.  The  enormous  strength 
of  their  artillery  arm  was  never  more  fully  displayed,  and  they 
used  it  with  desperation.  They  had  now  turned  their  atten 
tion  more  particularly  to  our  right,  where  the  cavalry  were 
posted,  and  where  they  suspected  our  weakness  in  artillery. 
The  attempt  made  to  turn  our  flank  was  vigorous,  and  with 
troops  less  courageous  than  ours,  might  have  succeeded.  But 
it  utterly  failed.  In  vain  did  they  advance  their  guns,  and 
open  a  terrific  fire  parallel  to  the  railroad,  throwing  forward 
sharpshooters  at  the  same  moment  to  pick  off  our  cannoneers. 
Their  challenge  was  accepted,  and  our  guns  were  ready  to 
meet  them.  Pegram's,  Latham's,  Crenshaw's,  Johnson's, 
Mclntosh's,  Braxton's,  Letcher's,  and  other  batteries,  engaged 
them  at  close  range  with  unyielding  obstinacy.  To  these  were 
added  the  second  and  third  companies  Richmond  Howitzers — • 


234:  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

the  first  company  being  engaged  on  our  left — the  Staunton 
Artillery,  Lieutenant  Garber,  a  section  of  Poague's  battery, 
Lieutenant  Graham,  Caskie's,  Hardaway's,  Louisiana  Guard 
Artillery,  Captain  D'Aquin,  and  others — all  under  the  com 
mand  of  Major  Pelham,  who  fought  them  with  heroic  firm 
ness  and  coolness.  The  whole  of  the  artillery  on  the  right, 
including  Captain  Henry's  horse  artillery,  of  Major  Pelham's 
battalion,  was  under  the  immediate  direction  of  General 
Stuart,  who  was  everywhere  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight — the 
target  of  artillery  and  sharpshooters  alike.  The  latter  had 
posted  themselves  two  or  three  hundred  yards  off,  behind  a 
hedge,  and  no  doubt  attracted  by  the  plume  and  uniform  of  a 
general  officer,  directed  their  fire  upon  him,  striking  him  twice, 
but  not  doing  him  injury.  Meanwhile,  the  batteries. never  for 
an  instant  relaxed  in  their  fire.  All  through  the  afternoon 
and  into  the  night  they  continued  the  fight — those  which  were 
disabled,  or  out  of  ammunition,  retiring,  to  be  replaced  by 
others.  As  night  fell,  the  work  was  done.  Some  of  our 
bravest  hearts  were  cold  in  death,  or  were  lying  with  the  life- 
blood  welling  from  their  glorious  wounds ;  but  the  day  was 
ours.  The  enemy's  guns  slackened  fire,  retired,  and  one  after 
another  were  silenced — our  own  batteries  regularly  advanced, 
and  this  whole  portion  of  our  line  was  pushed  far  toward  the 
front.  General  Stuaj±  jiad  well  redeemed  his  grim  dispatch — 
that  he  was  "going  to  crowd  them  with  artillery."  The  cer 
emony  was  too  rough  for  them  to  stand,  and  when  the  voice  of 
the  general  in  the  darkness  ordered  the  last  advance,  the  com 
bat  had  terminated  in  the  silence  of  the  foe. 

His  shattered  columns  had  disappeared  from  vision  with 
the  advent  of  darkness,  and  now  no  reply  came  from  his  guns. 
In  vain  did  our  own  send  after  him  shot  and  shell  as  before — 
no  answering  roar  came  back.  Beaten,  driven  back,  and 
thoroughly  disheartened,  the  great  host  which  had  advanced 
in  the  morning  with  banners  flying,  and  in  all  the  "  pride, 
pomp,  and  circumstance  of  glorious  war,"  now  sneaked  away 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  235 

toward  its  pontoon  bridges,  and  gave  up  the  "  On  to  Rich 
mond"  movement  as  completely  hopeless. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  contest  on  the  Confederate  right. 
On  the  left,  Longstreet  had  repulsed  the  enemy  with  heavy 
loss ;  and  recoiling  from  Marye's  Hill — from  the  brigades  of 
Cobb  and  Cooke,  and  the  batteries  of  Walton — as  from  Hill 
and  Walker  on  the  crest  to  the  right — they  had  fled,  shattered 
and  too  much  disheartened  to  renew  the  conflict.  Thus  the 
battle  had  been  in  every  portion  of  the  field  a  Confederate 
victory;  and  it  might  have  been  supposed  that  the  enemy 
would  have  taken  advantage  of  the  darkness  to  cross  the  river. 
For  some  unaccountable  reason,  they  did  not  do  so,  however ; 
and  on  Sunday  were  drawn  up  directly  beneath  our  batteries, 
and  even  went  through  all  manner  of  evolutions,  apparently 
for  the  amusement  of  Gens.  Lee  and  Jackson,  who  looked  on 
in  silence  from  Walker's  Hill.  On  the  same  day  they  sent  a 
flag  of  truce,  asking  permission  to  bury  their  dead.  As  the 
application  was  made  by  a  major-general  only,  it  was  imme 
diately  sent  back  ;  and  not  until  Monday  did  the  paper  return 
signed  by  Gen.  Burnside's  A.  A.  General.  The  application 
was  then  granted,  and  while  the  white  flag  was  floating  and  the 
dead  being  borne  off,  the  enemy  commenced  recrossing  the  river. 
On  Tuesday  morning  they  were  gone,  and  on  the  vast  plain 
only  dead  bodies  remained,  arranged  neatly  in  long  rows, 
and — -left  for  us  to  bury. 

We  shall  not  dwell  upon  the  events  which  succeeded  the 
great  battle  of  Fredericksburg — upon  the  howl  of  rage  and 
anguish  which  went  up  throughout  the  North — the  deposition 
of  Burnside — the  quarrel  among  the  Federal  generals,  and 
the  mad  resolve  of  the  bankrupt  government  at  Washington 
to  attempt  a  new  advance,  destined  in  its  turn  to  fail  as  all  the 
rest  had  done. 

We  have  confined  our  attention  to  Gen.  Jackson,  and  now 
proceed  to  add,  that  having  thoroughly  performed  his  work, 
as  he  always  did,  he  went  into  retirement  at  Moss  Neck,  with 


236  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

his  corps  hidden  in  the  woods  there,  and  applied  himself  to  a 
task  for  which  he  had  never  before  found  leisure — the  prepa 
ration  of  his  official  reports. 

NOTE. — Here,  and  in  one  or  two  other  places,  the  writer  has,  for 
the  sake  of  convenience,  used  matter  previously  contributed  by 
him  to  the  papers  of  the  day.  This  statement  is  made  to  prevent 
misconception. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

WINTER-QUARTERS    AT    MOSS    NECK. 

AT  "Moss  Neck,"  some  ten  miles  below  Fredericksburg, 
Jackson  rested  from  his  toils,  during  all  those  months  of  the 
winter  and  spring  of  1862-3. 

With  his  headquarters  upon  the  crest  of  hills  which  here 
runs  along  the  right  bank  of  the  Rappahannock,  dominating 
the  wide  low  grounds,  and  affording  admirable  positions  for 
artillery,  if  the  enemy  advanced,  he  remained  for  months, 
watching  the  hills  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and 
ready  at  any  moment  to  hurl  his  veterans  of  the  old  corps 
iipon  the  advancing  Federals.  From  the  hills  near  head 
quarters  the  view  was  very  attractive.  To  the  right  and  left 
the  wooded  range  extended  toward  Fredericksburg  on  the  one 
hand,  and  Port  Royal  on  the  other;  in  front,  the  far-stretch 
ing  low  grounds  gave  full  sweep  to  the  eye ;  and  at  the  foot 
of  its  forest-clad  bluffs,  or  by  the  margin  of  undulating  fields, 
the  Rappahannock  calmly  flowed  toward  the  sea.  Old  man 
sions  dotted  this  beautiful  land — for  beautiful  it  was  in  spite 
of  the  dull  influenced  of  winter,  with  its  fertile  meadows,  its 
picturesque  woodlands,  and  its  old  roads  skirted  by  long  rows 
of  shadowy  cedars,  planted  with  the  regularity  of  ornamental 
shrubbery  in  a  gentleman's  garden. 

Headquarters  were  near  the  "  Corbin  House ;"  in  front 
was  "  Hayfield,"  the  residence  of  that  Taylor  family  illustra- 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON.  237 

ted  in  old  days  by  "  Colonel  John  Taylor  of  Caroline ;"  near 
at  hand  were  the  hospitable  residences  of  the  Baylors,  Ber 
nards,  and  others;  and  in  the  distance,  toward  Fredericks- 
burg,  was  "  St.  Julian,"  the  ancient  homestead  of  the  Brooke 
family,  which  Washington,  Randolph,  and  the  great  statesmen 
of  the  past  always  paused  at  on  their  journeys,  to  give  the 
news  and  discuss  the  men  and  things  of  the  past  century. 

Another  age  had  come  now ;  a  baser  foe  than  ever  had  in 
vaded  this  fair  land ;  and  the  smiling  fields  were  disfigured 
by  the  footprints  of  war.  The  meadows  were  crossed  and  re- 
crossed  by  roads  which  had  cut  up  the  soil  into  ruts  and  miry 
holes.  The  steep  banks — as  the  enemy  have  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  seeing — were  fashioned  into  earthworks  for  sharp 
shooters.  The  beautiful  cedars  were  felled  to  supply  firewood 
for  the  troops ;  and  every  thing  betrayed  the  presence  of  the 
huge,  dark,  bloody,  dirty,  brutal  genius  of  battle. 

On  the  crest  of  hills  above,  Gen.  Jackson,  as  we  have,  said, 
had  fixed  his  headquarters,  with  his  brave  troops  posted  in  the 
woods  behind,  ready  at  any  moment  to  appear  upon  the  wide 
low-grounds  and  repulse  the  enemy  if  he  attempted  to  cross. 
If  driven  from  the  line  of  the  river  road,  they  would  have 
fallen  back  to  the  hills  crowned  with  artillery,  and  from  that 
position  not  all  the  power  of  the  Federal  army  could  have 
made  them  budge  one  inch. 

Gen.  Jackson,  as  stated  above,  employed  himself  during 
these  moments  of  leisure  in  preparing  the  official  reports  of 
his  battles.  The  embodiment  of  the  facts,  as  given  in  the 
reports  of  officers  engaged,  was  intrusted  to  Lieut-col.  Faulk 
ner,  A.  A.  G.,  but  Gen.  Jackson  carefully  revised  and  cor 
rected  the  statements  before  his  official  signature  was  ap 
pended.  He  was  exceedingly  careful  not  to  have  any  thing 
placed  thus  upon  formal  record  which  was  not  established  by 
irrefutable  proof.  Truth  was  with  him  the  jewel  beyond  all 
price — and  nothing  discomposed  him  more  than  the  bare  sus 
picion  that  accuracy  was  sacrificed  to  effect.  He  disliked  all 


238  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

glowing  adjectives  in  the  narratives  of  his  battles;  and  pre 
sented  to  the  members  of  his  staff  and  all  around  him,  a  noblis 
example  of  modesty  and  love  of  truth.  He  seemed,  indeed, 
to  have  a  horror  of  any  thing  like  ostentation,  boasting,  or  self- 
laudation,  expressed  or  implied.  Nothing  was  more  disagree 
able  to  him  than  the  excessive  praises  which  reached  his  ears 
through  the  newspapers  of  the  day ;  and  he  shrunk  from  the 
attempts  made  to  elevate  him  above  his  brother  commanders 
with  a  repugnance  which  was  obvious  to  every  one.  His  dis 
like  for  all  popular  ovations  was  extreme.  He  did  not  wish 
his  portrait  to  be  taken,  or  his  actions  to  be  made  the  subject 
of  laudatory  comment  in  the  journals  of  the  day.  When  the 
publishers  of  an  illustrated  periodical  wrote  to  him  requesting 
his  daguerreotype  and  some  notes  of  his  battles  for  an  engra 
ving  and  a  biographical  sketch,  he  wrote  in  reply  that  he  had 
no  picture  of  himself  and  had  never  done  any  thing. 

So  carefully  did  he  guard  all  the  statements  in  his  reports 
from  error,  and  such  was  the  rigid  censorship  which  he  estab 
lished  in  relation  to  the  most  minute  portions  of  these  narra 
tives,  that  the  official  reports  revised  and  signed  by  him,  may 
be  relied  upon  as  the  very  quintessence  of  truth,  and  histo 
rians  may  quote  them,  through  all  coming  time,  as  the  sworn 
statements  of  a  man  who  would  have  laid  down  his  very  life 
before  he  would  have  attached  his  name  to  what  was  partial, 
unfair,  or  aught  but  the  simple,  absolute  truth.  Those  bat 
tles  were  fought  as  Jackson's  reports  declare ;  and  almost 
sole  merit  of  this  poor  record  of  his  career  consists  in  this, 
that  events  are  stated  here,  as  they  are  stated  there — with 
nothing  added  to  or  taken  from  the  record.* 


*  The  only  exceptions  to  this  statement  are  the  narratives  of 
the  second  battle  of  Manassas,  and  the  battles  of  Harper's  Ferry 
and  Sharpsburg.  The  official  report  of  the  latter  engagements  is 
given  in  the  Appendix.  The  report  of  the  former  is  not  at  this  time 
accessible. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  239 

These  winter  months  of  1862-3  were  not  entirely  passed, 
however,  in  laborious  occupations  connected  with  the  general's 
official  position.  Many  pleasant  incidents  are  related  of  him, 
at  this  period,  which  we  could  dwell  upon  at  length,  did 
time  and  space  permit.  Those  who  visited  Moss  Neck  during 
those  days,  give  a  humorous  description  of  the  surroundings 
of  the  famous  General  Stonewall.  Before  his  tent  was  pitched, 
he  established  his  .headquarters  in  a  small  out-building  of  the 
Corbin  House;  and  all  who  came  to  transact  business  with 
Lieutenant-general  Jackson,  were  struck  by  a  series  of  head 
quarter  ornaments  of  the  most  unique  and  surprising  descrip 
tion.  On  the  walls  of  the  apartment  were  pictures  of  race 
horses,  well  known  and  dear  in  former  days  to  the  planters  of 
the  neighboring  region.  Then  there  was  a  portrait  of  some 
celebrated  game-cock,  ready  trimmed  and  gaffed  for  conflict 
to  the  death.  A  companion  piece  of  these,  was  the  picture 
of  a  terrier  engaged  in  furious  onslaught  upon  an  army  of 
rats,  which  he  was  seizing,  tearing,  and  shaking  to  death  as 
fast  as  they  came.  These  decorations  of  headquarters  excited 
the  merriment  of  the  general's  associates;  and  one  of  "them 
suggested  to  him  that  a  drawing  of  the  apartment  should  be 
made,  with  the  race-horses,  game-cocks,  and  terrier  in  bold 
relief,  the  picture  to  be  labelled,  "  View  of  the  winter-quarters 
of  Gen.  Stonewall  Jackson,  presenting  an  insight  into  the  tastes 
and  character  of  the  individual." 

Hearty  laughter  on  the  part  of  Gen.  Jackson  greeted  this 
jest  from  the  distinguished  brother  soldier  who  had  stood  be 
side  him  upon  so  many  bloody  fields — whom  he  loved  and 
opened  his  whole  heart  to — and  to  whom,  when  struck  down 
by  the  fatal  ball  at  Chancellorsville,  his  mind  first  turned  as 
his  successor. 

The  children  of  the  house,  and  in  the  neighborhood,  will 
long  remember  the  kind  voice  and  smile  of  the  great  soldier — 
his  caresses  and  affectionate  ways.  A  new  military  cap  had 
been  sent  him  just  before  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  which 


240  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

was  resplendent  with  gold  braid  and  all  manner  of  decorations 
General  Jackson  did  not  admire  this  fine  substitute  for  thai 
old,  sun-scorched  head-covering  which  had  so  long  served 
him ;  and  when,  one  day,  a  little  girl  was  standing  at  hit 
knee,  looking  up  from  her  clustering  curls  at  the  kindly  gen 
eral,  whose  hand  was  caressing  her  hair,  he  found  a  better  use 
for  the  fine  gold  braid  around  the  cap.  He  called  for  a  pan 
of  scissors,  ripped  it  off,  and  joining  the  ends,  placed  it  like  a 
coronet  upon  her  head,  with  smiles  and  evident  admiration  oi 
the  pretty  picture  thus  presented. 

Another  little  girl,  in  one  of  the  hospitable  houses  of  that 
region,  told  the  present  writer  that  when  she  expressed  to  a 
gentleman  her  wish  to  kiss  Gen.  Jackson,  and  the  gentleman 
repeated  her  words,  the  general  blushed  very  much,  and  turned 
away  with  a  slight  laugh,  as  if  he  was  confused. 

These  are  trifles,  let  us  agree,  good  reader ;  but  is  it  not  a 
pleasant  spectacle  to  see  the  great  soldier  amid  these  kindly, 
simple  scenes — to  watch  the  stern  and  indomitable  leader, 
whose  soul  has  never  shrunk  in  the  hour  of  deadliest  peril, 
passing  happy  moments  in  the  society  of  laughing  children? 

At  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  while  Jackson's  wound  was 
being  dressed,  some  one  said,  "  Here  comes  the  President." 
He  threw  aside  the  surgeons,  rose  suddenly  to  his  feet,  and 
whirling  his  old  cap  around  his  head,  cried,  with  the  fire  of 
battle  in  his  eyes : 

"  Hurrah  for  the  President  ?  Give  me  ten  thousand  men, 
and  I'll  be  in  Washington  to-night !" 

It  was  the  same  man  who  blushed  when  a  child  expressed 
her  wish  to  kiss  him. 

The  days  passed  thus  quietly  at  Moss  Neck,  the  .enemy 
making  numerous  demonstrations,  but  never  crossing.  Janu 
ary,  February,  the  greater  part  of  March  went  by,  and  Jackson 
still  remained  upon  his  crest  of  hills  above  the  meadows  of 
the  Rappahannock ;  but  late  in  March  he  moved  his  head 
quarters  to  a  point  near  Hamilton's  Crossing,  just  in  rear  of 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  241 

the  Dattle-field  of  Fredericksburg,  on  the  southern  side  of  the 
Massapounax,  and  not  far  from  Gen.  Lee. 

The  spring  was  now  beginning  to  advance,  and  the  season 
for  hostilities  Tiad  returned.  Gen.  Jackson  hastened  the  prep 
aration  of  his  reports,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  at  last  they  were  nearly  complete. 

It  was  while  he  was  engaged  in  his  revision  of  the  report 
of  the  operations  of  his  corps  in  the  Maryland  campaign,  that 
the  note  of  battle  was  again  sounded,  and  from  memories  of 
past  events,  and  the  battles  already  fought,  he  was  recalled 
to  the  present,  and  to  the  still  more  desperate  conflict  about 
to  take  place — to  the  last,  and  what  was  lo  prove  not  the 
least  splendid,  of  his  achievements. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

HOOKER    ADVANCES. 

BURNSIDE,  defeated  and  disgraced,  had  been  long  since  suc 
ceeded  by  Hooker,  soon  to  join  in  his  turn  that  great  proces 
sion  of  Headless  Phantoms,  the  Yankee  Generals,  on  their 
march  toward  the  River  of  Oblivion. 

Gen.  Hooker  had  noisily  declared  his  ability  to  defeat  the 
rebel  army;  had  scoffed  at  McClellan  and  all  preceding  gen 
erals,  as  incompetent ;  and  his  shameless  self-laudation,  boast 
ing,  and  bravado,  had  reaped  from  a  congenial  government 
their  full  reward.  He  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the 
Federal  army  on  the  Rappahannock — and  the  time  had  now 
come  wh5n  he  was  about  to  exhibit  those  great  qualifications 
which  he  had  so  long  and  persistently  claimed  for  himself. 

The  first  note  of  the  coming  conflict  was  sounded  on  the 
17th  of  March,  from  the  upper  Rappahannock.  On  that  day 
Gen.  Averill,  with  three  thousand  cavalry,  crossed  the  river 
at  Kelly's  Ford,  for  an  extensive  raid  on  the  communications 


24-2  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

of  the  army  in  the  direction  of  Gordonsville.  Hooker's  de 
sign  in  ordering  this  movement  was  undoubtedly  to  cut  the 
Central  Railroad,  and  ascertain  as  far  as  possible,  the  streng  h 
and  position  of  Gen.  Lee. 

Bad  fortune,  however,  attended  the  expedition.  The  Fel- 
eral  general  was  met  near  Kelly's  Ford,  by  Gen.  Fitz.  Lee, 
with  about  eight  hundred  cavalry,  and  his  advance  so  obsii- 
nately  opposed,  that,  after  a  day  of  stubborn  and  bloody  coi- 
flict,  he  was  forced  to  fall  back,  with  heavy  loss,  and  recross 
the  river.  Our  own  loss  was  considerable;  and  among  the 
officers  killed  was  Major  John  Pelham— the  "Gallant  Pd- 
ham,"  of  Gen.  Lee's  report  at  Fredericksburg — who*  was  pres 
ent  with  Gen.  Stuart  during  the  battle.  The  fall  of  this 
great  artillerist  was  an  irreparable  calamity,  but  the  enen  y 
were  completely  checked ;  and  the  Southern  army  had  the 
prestige  of  victory  in  the  first  battle  of  the  spring  campaigr . 

After  the  battle  of  Kellysville,  which  for  hard  and  obsli- 
nate  fighting,  has  scarcely  been  excelled  by  any  encounter  ol 
the  war,  the  enemy  remained  quiet  until  April.  Toward  the 
middle  of  that  month,  every  thing  indicated  an  early  advance 
on  the  part  of  the  Federal  forces.  It  was  known  that  Gen, 
Hooker  had  been  making  extraordinary  exertions  to  increase 
the  strength  of  his  army,  and  to  place  every  department  DJ 
the  command  upon  a  thorough  "war  footing" — these  labors 
were  said  to  have  secured  the  desired  result — and,  in  the 
month  of  April,  the  Northern  journals  repeatedly  and  conii- 
dently  asserted  Gen.  Hooker's  ability  to  overwhelm  Gen.  L'-e 
whenever  he  advanced. 

This  spirit  of  vainglorious  confidence  seems  to  have  been 
shared  by  Gen.  Hooker  and  the  majority  of  Ms  officers, 
Whether  deceived  by  spies,  who  communicated  false  intelli 
gence,  or  misled  by  his  own  glowing  anticipations,  which 
made  "  the  wish  the  father  of  the  thought,"  the  Federal  com 
mander  exhibited,  in  many  ways,  the  most  unhesitating  con 
fidence  in  his  ability  to  defeat  Lee,  and  looked  forward  to  the 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL    JACKSON.  243 

battle  about  to  take  place,  as  destined  to  annihilate  the  Con 
federate  army  and  terminate  the  war. 

The  advance  of  the  Federal  forces  was  preceded  as  usual 
by  movements  of  cavalry.  The  enemy  had  largely  increased 
their  force  in  this  branch,  and  paid  great  attention  to  its  arm 
ament  and  equipment.  The  North  had  been  ransacked  for 
horses ;  the  best  patterns  of  carbines  and  pistols  were  fur 
nished  in  profusion ;  and  great  attention  was  given  to  the 
organization  of  the  force,  the  character  of  its  officers,  and  its 
efficiency  in  every  particular.  The  commanders  were  given 
to  understand  that  much  was  expected  of  them  ;  and  Gen. 
Pleasauton,  to  whose  command  the  whole  was  intrusted, 
seemed  anxious  to  recover  the  laurels  which  Averill  had  lost 
in  his  encounter  with  Fitz.  Lee. 

During  the  month  of  April,  persistent  attempts  were  made 
by  Pleasanton  to  penetrate  into  the  county  of  Cdpepper,  and 
beat  up  General  Stuart's  quarters  there :  his  expectation 
being  to  gain  information,  and  unmask  General  Lee's  position. 
These  attempts,  however,  all  failed.  Our  cavalry,  under  Gen. 
Stuart,  confronted  them  at  every  point,  from  United  States 
Ford,  below  the  confluence  of  the  rivers,  to  the  upper  wa 
ters  ;  whenever  they  crossed  they  were  driven  back  with  con 
siderable  slaughter ;  and  up  to  the  moment  when  General 
Hooker's  army  was  put  in  motion,  it  may  be  declared  with 
truth,  that  the  enemy's  great  cavalry  force  had  proved  com 
pletely  useless  in  gaining  for  the  commanding  general  in 
formation  of  Gen.  Lee's  movements,  position,  or  designs. 

The  position  of  our  forces  did  not  materially  differ  from 
what  it  had  been  before,  and  subsequent  to  the  battle  of 
Fredericksburg.  The  main  body  of  the  Southern  army  con 
fronted  the  enemy's  camps  opposite  the  town — occupying  the 
woods  in  rear  of  the  old  battle-field.  A  force  was  posted 
opposite  U.  S.  Ford,  higher  up  the  river,  to  watch  the  ene 
my's  movements  in  that  direction ;  and  the  various  fords  from 
U.  S.  to  Hinson's,  far  up  the  Rappahannock,  nearly  opposite 


244  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

Orleans,  were  picketed  by  Stuart's  cavalry,  which,  under  tie 
supervision  of  that  energetic  commander,  left  no  avenue  of 
advance  unguarded.  The  exposed  left  flank  was  rightly 
regarded  as  the  direction  from  which  the  enemy  would  attack 
with  a  view  to  turning  Gen.  Lee's  position,  and  forcing  him 
to  fall  back.  Extreme  vigilance  was  accordingly  enjoined 
upon  the  cavalry  pickets ;  and  no  sooner  had  the  Federal 
forces  put  themselves  in  motion  on  the  upper  waters  than. 
Gen.  Stuart  telegraphed  the  fact  to  Gen.  Lee  below. 

It   would  seem  that  General    Hooker  decided  to  advance, 
upon  receiving  information  that  "  the   only  army  to   oppose 
him  was   one  of  forty  thousand   under   Jackson,  Lee   bein 
sick,  and  his  army  scattered."     The  presence  of  Gen.  Lorn; 
street   in    front  of  Suffolk  was  well   known    to   the   Feder.u 
commander;  ancl  it  thus  appeared  that  the  absence  of  a  veiy 
considerable  portion  of  the  Confederate  force  was  the  circum 
stance  which  induced  Gen.  Hooker,   after  all    his    boasts,  1o 
undertake  an  advance. 

All  things  were  at  last  declared  to  be  ready :  the  organiza 
tion  of  the  Federal  army  was  completed— that  is  to  sav, 
Gen.  Longstreet  was  absent — and  the  movement  which  was 
to  "  crush  the  rebellion"  and  end  the  war  was  commenced. 
A  writer  in  the  New  York  World  newspaper,  who  criticises 
the  operations  of  Gen.  Hooker  with  great  plainness  of  speech, 
and  apparent  truth,  says  that  the  Federal  plan  was  as  follows: 

"A  portion  of  the  army,  about  half  of  it,  was  to  cross  the 
river  near  Fredericksburg,  and  pretend  to  renew  the  attempt 
in  which  Buinside  had  been  previously  unsuccessful,  and  ac 
complish  two  objects — first,  to  hold  the  enemy's  force  at  that 
point ;  and  second,  to  protect  our  communications  and  sup 
plies,  while  the  other  half  of  the  army  should  make  a  cross 
ing  above  the  fortifications,  and  sweeping  down  with  the 
greatest  rapidity  to  the  rear  of  Fredericksburg,  take  a  strong 
position  and  hold  it  until  they  could  be  reinforced  by  the 
portion  of  the  army  engaged  in  making  the  feint  which  was 
to  withdraw  from  its  position,  take  the  bridges  to  the  point  of 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  24:5 

the  river  which  had  been  uncovered  by  the  flank  movement, 
aiul  the  whole  army  was  thus  to  be  concentrated  in  the  rear  of 
Fredericksburg." 

The  writer  thus  continues : 

"  On  Monday,  the  26th,  was  commenced  the  execution  of 
this  plan.  Three  corps,  the  Fifth,  Eleventh,  and  Twelfth, 
were  ordered  to  march  with  eight  days'  rations,  to  Kelly's 
Ford,  near  "the  Orange  and  Alexandria  Railroad,  General  Slo- 
cum,  of  the  Twelfth  Corps,  was  placed  in  command,  and  on 
Tuesday  night  the  force  intrusted  with  the  important  part  of 
executing  the  flank  movement  had  reached  the  point  at  which 
they  were  ordered  to  cross  the  Rappahannock.  Tuesday 
night,  also,  three  other  corps,  the  First,  Third,  and  Sixth,  were 
sent  to  Franklin's  crossing,  three  miles  below  Fredericksburg, 
to  be  ready  to  undertake  the  crossing  simultaneously  with  the 
other  corps  at  Kelly's  Ford  on  Wednesday  morning.  The  en 
emy  were  evidently  not  prepared  to  resist  the  crossing  at 
either  point,  and  the  affair  was  so  well  managed  that  both  di 
visions  of  the  army  had  established  themselves  on  the  west 
bank  of  the  river  and  covered  these  bridges  without  any  se 
rious  opposition  by  the  enemy. 

"  Gen.  Sedgwick,  who  commanded  the  three  corps  of  the  left, 
wing,  made  no  forward  demonstration,  except  enough  to  at 
tract  the  enemy  and  prevent  them  from  turning  upon  the  de 
tachment  which  was  forcing  its  way  toward  the  rear  of  the 
enemy's  works  in  command  of  General  Stoneman.  General 
Hooker  had  personally  superintended  the  passage  of  the  troops 
at  Kelly's  Ford?  and  returned  while  they  pushed  on  toward 
the  Rapidan  at  Germania  Mills,  where  they  crossed  success 
fully,  and  made  some  progress  beyond  before  Wednesday 
night." 

As  soon  as  the  designs  of  the  enemy  were  developed  in  the 
direction  of  Kelly's  Ford,  Gen.  Stuart  concentrated  his  cavalry 
in  front  of  that  point,  and  observed  their  further  movements, 
communicating  full  information  of  their  force  and  the  direc 
tion  of  their  march  to  Gen.  Lee.  He  fell  back  as  the  Fed 
eral  column  advanced,  and  detaching  a  portion  of  his  command 
under  Gen.  W.  II.  F.  Lee  to  oppose  the  Federal  cavalry  un 
der  Stoneman,  who  was  moving  in  the  direction  of  Rapidan 


246  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Station,  on  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  Railroad,  proceeded 
with  the  remainder  toward  Fredericksburg,  hanging  on  tin 
flank  of  the  enemy,  and  as  far  as  possible  impeding  his  move 
ments. 

The  following  account  of  the  subsequent  operations  of  th  3 
right  and  left  wings  of  the  Federal  army,  up  to  the  night  ci 
Friday,  April  30th,  is  taken  from  the  same  journal  quoted 
above,  and  will  throw  light  upon  the  designs  of  Gen.  Hooker, 
which  by  this  time  had  been  completely  penetrated  by  th  3 
sagacious  and  far-seeing  commander  of  the  Confederate  forces  : 

"  Thursday. — Sedgwick  still  threatened  the  enemy,  and 
held  ttem  near  Fredericksburg,  while  Slocum  pressed  on  from 
the  Rapidan  and  took  his  position  across  the  piank-road,  th  3 
enemy's  line  of  retreat  toward  Gordonsville,  at  Chancellon-- 
ville.  Couch's  Second  Corps,  which  had  remained  at  Bank*' 
Ford,  now  moved  up  to  the  United  States  Ford,  and  crossed 
to  join  General  Slocum.  General  Hooker  also  rejoined,  and 
took  command  of  the  four  corps  thus  concentrated  in  the  rear 
of  Fredericksburg  and  across  the  line  of  the  enemy's  retreat. 
It  was  now  time  for  the  detachment  to  take  the  defence  and 
hold  their  position  until  the  other  corps  should  join  them, 
and,  the  army  thus  united,  be  enabled  to  meet  all  the  forces 
which  the  enemy  might  bring  against  them.  Thursday  night; 
there  was  sharp  work  on  both  sides  to  out-manoeuvre  each 
other.  The  enemy  had  now  learned,  with  sufficient  certainty, 
that  a  large  force  was  in  their  rear  in  the  direction  of  Chan- 
cellorsville,  and  that  Stoneman's  cavalry  was  greatly  endan 
gering  their  railroad  communication,  and  they  were  moving 
accordingly  away  from  Sedgwick  toward  the  rear  of  Hooker, 
between  Chancel lorsville  and  the  Rapidan,  by  the  roads  at  the 
south  of  the  plank-road,  which  was  in  our  possession.  While 
leaving  Sedgwick's  front  the  enemy  made  unusual  demonstra 
tions  of  camp  fires,  as  if  concentrating  there,  and  similar  de 
vices  were  resorted  to  on  our  own  side.  But  neither  deceived 
the  other,  for  both  were  moving  away,  and  on  our  side  a  por 
tion  of  the  bridges  were  taken  up  immediately,  and  the  Third 
corps  moved  all  night  toward  the  United  States  Ford  to  join 
with  Gen.  Hooker  at  Chancellorsville. 

"Friday. — While  the  First  and  Third  Corps  were  moving 
from  the  left  wing  to  join  Gen.  Hooker  at  Chancellorsville, 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  247 

Sykes,  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  and  Williams,  of  the  Twelfth,  pushed 
on  nearer  to  the  rear  of  Fredericksburg,  skirmishing  and 
fighting  with  the  enemy  who  showed  slight  resistance  in  that 
direction.  The  enemy  were  thus  driven  before  them  for  four 
miles,  when  General  Hooker,  for  some  reason,  ordered  them 
to  fall  back  and  rejoin  his  lines  at  Chancellorsville.  By  night 
his  army  was  all  concentrated,  except  the  Sixth  corps,  and 
ready  for  a  forward  movement  to  the  rear  of  Fredericksburg 
heights.  The  main  body  of  the  enemy  had  now  moved  away 
from  their  works  at  Fredericksburg,  and  were  preparing  to 
attack  our  army  on  the  right  in  a  direction  from  which,  if 
beaten,  they  could  successfully  retreat,  and  from  which  it  was 
hardly  expected  they  would  meet  us." 

Such  was  the  rather  bungling  strategy  by  which  General 
Hooker  expected  to  out-general  Lee  ;  turn  his  left  flank  ;  and 
force  him  to  fall  back  from  his  strong  position,  or  fight  at  an 
enormous  disadvantage.  Let  us  see  now  what  dispositions 
were  made  by  the  commander  thus  threatened.  Our  narra 
tive  concerns  itself  mainly,  of  course,  with  the  operations  of 
Gen.  Jackson,  the  only  corps  commander  on  the  field  ;  and 
we  shall  trace  his  movements  from  his  camp  upon  the  Massa- 
ponnax  to  the  disastrous  moment  when,  amid  the  dense  and 
lugubrious  shades  of  the  Wilderness  he  fell,  at  the  instant 
when  full  victory  crowned  him. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE    WILDERNESS CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

THE  left  wing  of  the  Federal  army,  composed  of  three 
grand  divisions  under  General  Sedgwick,  crossed  below 
Fredericksburg  on  Wednesday,  April  28th,  and  Gen.  Jackson 
promptly  drew  up  his  corps  in  line  of  battle  to  repel  the  ex 
pected  attack. 

As  the  enemy  did  not  advance,  however,  either  on  that  day 


248  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON". 

or  the  next,  it  became  apparent  that  General  Sedgwick's 
orders  were  to  threaten  Fredericksburg,  while  the  main  body 
of  the  Federal  army  was  massed  above,  and  moved  down  with 
a  view  to  out-flank  General  Lee,  and  drive  him  from  his  po 
sition. 

Jackson  was  accordingly  ordered,  on  Thursday  evening,  to 
leave  one  division  of  his  corps  in  front  of  the  enemy  at  Fred 
ericksburg,  and  proceed  with  the  three  others  to  the  Taber 
nacle,  a  point  on  the  road  to  Chancellorsville,  where  he  would 
take  command  of  Anderson's  and  a  portion  of  McLaws'  divi 
sions,  and  "  attack  and  repulse  the  enemy." 

This  order  reached  JacksoJi  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  even 
ing,  and  at  midnight  the  three  divisions  were  on  the  road  to 
Chancellorsville.  They  were  A.  P.  Hill's  division,  commandec 
by  that  general ;  D.  H.  Hill's,  commanded  by  Gen.  Rodes  , 
and  Trimble's,  commanded  by  Gen.  Colston. 

On  reaching  the  Tabernacle  Church  next  morning,  Ander 
son's  division  was  added  to  the  command  and  placed  in  front, 
two  brigades  of  McLaws'  division  being  sent  forward  on  UK 
road  to  U.  S.  Ford.  The  march  was  then  resumed — Posey't 
and  Wright's  brigades,  to  which  Ramseur's  was  afterward? 
added,  preceding  the  column  in  line-of-battle,  on  the  right  aud 
left  of  the  road. 

The  command  proceeded  thus  until  it  approached  Chan 
cellorsville,  when  the  advance  became  engaged  with  the  enemy, 
and  was  fired  upon  by  a  battery  masked  behind  the  dense 
woods,  and  completely  protected  from  attack  by  a  complicated 
abatis  in  front. 

Finding  the  day  far  spent,  and  having  had  no  opportunity 
of  observing  the  ground  or  ascertaining  the  enemy's  position, 
General  Jackson  ordered  a  halt,  and  employed  the  rest  of  the 
afternoon  in  getting  up  his  command,  and  seeing  that  all  were 
in  place  for  work  the  next  morning. 

At  night  Gen.  Lee  arrived,  and  a  consultation  was 
held.  The  position  of  affairs  was  such  as  to  demand  the 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  249 

utmost  promptness,  sagacity,  and  generalship,  to  insure  the 
defeat  of  the  enemy's  plans.  While  Sedgwick  was  threaten 
ing  Lee's  position  below,  General  Hooker  with  the  main  body 
of  his  army  had  rapidly  advanced  to  Chancellorsville,  a  point 
on  the  Old  Plank-road,  between  Fredericksburg  and  Ger- 
manna,  and  opposite  U.  S.  Ford.  Here  he  had  formed  a 
double  line  of  battle,  resembling  the  two  sides  of  a  square — 
his  right  ranging  along  the  plank-road,  nearly  east  and  west, 
his  left  extending  toward  the  river,  nearly  north  and  south — 
the  apex,  where  the  two  lines-of-battle  joined  each  other,  be 
ing  near  the  Old  Chancellor  House.  In  front  of  these  lines  the 
dense  timber  of  the  region  had  been  felled,  so  as  to  form  an 
almost  impassable  series  of  abatis:  in  rear  of  this  were  elabo 
rate  ranges  of  earthworks  for  infantry ;  and  behind,  as  upon 
either  flank — wherever,  indeed,  a  position  could  be  obtained — 
the  hills  bristled  with  artillery,  completely  protected  by  felled 
timber  from  attack. 

Humanly  speaking,  Hooker's  position  was  impregnable,  ex 
cept  with  a  frightful  loss  of  life  in  storming  it,  and  the  design 
of  assailing  him  in  front  was  speedily  abandoned. 

An  attack  upon  one  of  his  flanks  promised  better  results ; 
and  General  Jackson's  suggestion  that  he  should  move  well  to 
the  left  and  assail  the  enemy's  right  and  rear  near  the  Wilder 
ness  was  speedily  assented  to  by  General  Lee.  By  this  move 
ment  the  elaborate  series  of  defences  thrown  up  by  the  enemy 
would  be  rendered  useless,  their  plan  of  battle  reversed,  and 
they  would  be  compelled  to  face  to  the  rear  and  tight,  if  they 
fought  at  all,  at  a  fatal  disadvantage. 

Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  bent  of  Jackson's  genius 
will  easily  comprehend  the  alacrity  with  which  he  proceeded 
to  carry  out  General  Lee's  orders.  These  sudden  and  mortal 
blows  struck  at  an  enemy,  rejoicing  in  the  strength  of  his 
defences,  and  prepared  to  hurl  destruction  on  the  assailant, 
while  he  himself  is  protected,  always  possessed  an  inexpressi 
ble  charm  for  the  great  leader  who  had  delivered  so  mauy 
11* 


250  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

such  ;  and  General  Jackson  now  saw  the  field  open  for  a  su 
preme  exhibition  of  military  genius,  and  a  decisive  blow. 

He  knew  the  importance  of  celerity  and  secrecy  of  movement 
and  every  preparation  was  made  for  the  march  at  'an  earh 
hour  on  the  succeeding  morning.  We  have  already  quotec 
his  words,  "  Mystery  !  mystery  is  the  secret  of  success !" — am; 
on  this  occasion  no  precautions  were  omitted,  calculated  tc 
mask  the  movement  from  the  enemy.  General  Fitz.  Lee';- 
brigade  of  cavalry  was  disposed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  guard 
the  front  and  flanks  of  the  column  as  it  advanced,  from  the 
observation  of  the  Federal  commander,  by  driving  off  scouting 
parties,  and  acting  as  pioneers ;  and  by  this  and  other  precau 
tions  General  Jackson  did  not  doubt  his  ability  to  reach  the 
point  where  he  intended  to  attack,  without  having  his  desigr, 
discovered  by  the  enemy. 

He  was  early  in  the  saddle,  and  the  march  commenced — 
the  cavalry  keeping  well  on  the  flanks  and  to  the  front.  Di 
verging  to  the  left  from  the  plank-road,  the  command,  which 
now  consisted  of  Jackson's  three  divisions  only,  and  the 
cavalry,  moved  to  and  passed  the  point  known  as  "  The  Fur 
nace,"  and  thence  proceeded  toward  >  the  plank-road  from 
Chancellorsville  to  Orange  Court-house,  crossing  it  near  its 
junction  with  the  road  leading  up  to  Germanna  Ford.  It 
was  along  this  latter  road  that  the  right  wing  of  the  enemy's 
line-of-battle  was  posted — and  to  reach  their  right  and  rear 
it  was  necessary  to  move  still  further  to  the  left.  The  march 
was  accordingly  continued,  the  cavalry  moving  as  well  upon 
the  flank  as  the  dense  undergrowth  which  had  given  the 
region  the  name  of  the  Wilderness,  permitted  ;  and  the  head 
of  the  column,  completely  screened  from  the  enemy,  thus 
reached  the  Germanna  Ford  road  about  half  a  mile  east  of 
the  Old  Wilderness  Post-office. 

At  this  point,  Gen.  Fitz.  Lee  informed  Gen.  Jackson  that 
by  ascending  a  neighboring  hill,  he  could  obtain  a  view  of  the 
position  of  the  enemy,  who  would,  take  him  for  a  simple  cav- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  251 

airy  vidette,  and  pay  no  attention  to  him.  He  accordingly 
proceeded  to  the  point  indicated,  accompanied  by  one  or  two 
of  his  staff,  and  saw  at  a  glance  the  position  of  the  Federal 
linc-of-battle.  He  turned  instantly  to  one  of  his  aids;  said 
briefly,  "  Tell  my  column  to  cross  that  road ;"  and  hastening 
back,  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  his  command,  and  ad 
vanced  without  delay  to  the  Old  Turnpike  running  to  Chan 
cel  lorsviile. 

The  movement  had  been  a  complete  success.  Jackson  had 
reached  a  position  where  he  had  the  enemy  in  flank  and  re 
verse,  and  orders  were  instantly  given  to  prepare  the  troops 
for  action.  The  order  was  promptly  obeyed,  and  the  lines 
formed.  Gen.  Rodes'  division  was  formed  in  front ;  next  came 
Gen.  A.  P.  Hill's,  three  hundred  yards  in  rear;  and  Colston's 
was  drawn  up  the  same  distance  behind  Hill.  This  disposi- 
'tion  of  the  forces  was  subsequently  changed,  however,  owing 
to  the  dense  undergrowth,  which  greatly  fatigued  the  men; 
and  Rodes  only  advanced  in  line-of-battle,  the  two  other  divisions 
with  the  artillery,  marching  in  column  along  the  road.  This 
manner  of  moving  his  artillery,  by  a  commander  so  prudent 
and  skilful  as  Gen.  Jackson,  will  more  than  all  else  serve  to 
show  the  almost  impassable  character  of  the  ground  over 
which  he  now  advanced.  ,.. 

The  Old  Turnpike  ran  straight  into  the  rear  of  the  enemy, 
and  Jackson  followed  it,  extending  his  line-of-battle  well  to  the 
left — his  design  being  to  swing  round  with  his  left,  and  thus 
cut  off  the  enemy  from  U.  S.  Ford,  and  destroy  them. 

No  intimation  of  the  steady,  inexorable  advance  of  "  Jack 
son's  men"  had  yet  reached  the  doomed  Federals.  The 
movement  was  so  bold  and  unexpected,  and  had  been  accom 
plished  with  such  consummate  skill,  that  now  when  the  venge 
ful  Confederates  were  sweeping  forward,  and  had  almost  come 
into  actual  collision  with  their  foes,  their  presence  was  not 
even  suspected,  and  the  fate  of  the  corps  opposed  to  them  was 
sealed. 


252  LIFK   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

It  was  the  "Eleventh  Corps"  of  the  Federal  army,  cel 
ebrated  in  the  Northern  journals  as  "  Siegel's  Veterans,"  before 
whose  onslaught  the  Southern  troops  would  melt  away  as 
frost  before  the  flame.  It  was  now  commanded  by  Gen.  How 
ard — and  Fate  that  day  decreed  for  it  and  him  the  unenviable 
notoriety  of  receiving  the  last  assault  of  Jackson. 

That  assault  was  sudden,  unlooked  for,  terrible.  From  the 
first  instant  it  was  a  rout — perfect,  decisive,  ignominious.  The 
mercenaries  who  composed  the  corps,  fled  before  the  onset  oi 
their  enemies  with  a  precipitation  which  was  ludicrous. 
Whole  regiments  ran  without  firing  a  shot.  Batteries  went 
off  at  a  gallop,  ran  into  trees  and  fences,  and  were  captured 
and  turned  upon  the  enemy.  At  one  blow,  Geri.  Jackson  had 
paralyzed  a  powerful  portion  of  the  Federal  force,  and  they 
were  rushing,  mad  with  terror,  upon  the  reserves.  Let  their 
own  friends  describe  the  scene.  A  writer  in  a  Northern 
journal,  says : 

"  The  flying  Germans  came  dashing  over  the  field  in  crowds, 
stampeding  and  running  as  only  men  do  run  when  convinced 
that  sure  destruction  is  awaiting  them.  I  must  confess  that 
I  have  no  ability  to  do  justice  to  the.  scenes  that  followed.  It 
was  my  lot  to  be  in  the  centre  of  that  field  when  the  panic 
burst  upon  us<  May  I  never  be  a  witness  to  another  such 
scene.  On  one  hand  was  a  solid  column  of  infantry  retreat 
ing  at  double  quick ;  on  the  other  was  a  dense  mass  of  beings 
who  were  flying  as  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry  them,  fol 
lowed  up  by  the  rebels,  pouring  their  murderous  volleys  in 
iipon  us,  yelling  and  hooting,  to  increase  the  confusion  ;  hun 
dreds  of  cavalry  horses,  left  riderless  at  the  first  discharge 
from  the  rebels,  dashing  frantically  about  in  all  directions; 
scores  of  batteries  flying  from  the  field ;  battery  wagons,  am 
bulances,  horses,  men,  cannon,  caissons,  all  jumbled  and  tumbled 
together  in  one  inextricable  mass — and  the  murderous  fire  of 
the  rebels  still  pouring  in  upon  them  !  To  add  to  the  terror 
of  the  occasion,  there  was  but  one  means  of  escape  from  the 
field,  and  that  through  a  little  narrow  neck  or  ravine  washed 
out  by  Scott's  creek.  Toward  this,  the  confused  ma^s  plunged 
headlong.  For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  no  power  could 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  253 

avert  the  frightful  calamity  that  threatened  the  entire  army. 
On  came  the  panic-stricken  crowd,  terrified  artillery  riders 
spurring  and  lashing  their  horses  to  their  utmost ;  ambulances 
upsetting  and  being  dashed  to  pieces  against  trees  and  stumps  ; 
horses  dashing  over  the  field ;  men  flying  and  crying  with 
alarm — a  perfect  torrent  of  passion  apparently  uncontrollable. 
The  men  ran  in  all  directions.  They  all  seemed  possessed 
with  an  instinctive  idea  of  the  shortest  and  most  direct  line 
from  the  point  whence  they  started  to  the  United  States  Mine 
Ford,  and  the  majority  of  them  did  not  stop  until  they  had 
reached  the  ford.  Many  of  them,  on  reaching  the  river, 
dashed  in  and  swam  to  the  north  side,  and  are  supposed  to  be 
running  yet.  The  stampede  was  universal;  the  disgrace 
general." 

Jackson  saw  at  a  glance  the  immense  results  to  be  achieved 
by  vigorously  following  up  this  success.  The  enemy  were 
pressed  toward  Chancellorsville,  and  A.  P.  Hill's  division  was 
ordered  to  hasten  forward  and  take  the  place  of  Rodes's. 
The  wood  of  this  strange  Wilderness  was  so  thick,  however, 
that  to  advance  in  line-of-battle,  was  impracticable,  and  Gen. 
Hill's  forces  were  accordingly  disposed  in  and  on  each  side  of 
the  road,  in  the  best  manner  possible,  for  attack. 

We  now  approach  the  fatal  moment;  the  hour  of  sorrow 
and  loss  to  all  this  nation.  God  had  limited  the  great  man's 
days ;  had  decree^  that  his  career  should  here  end ;  and  it  is 
not  without  a  sort  of  awe  that  we  proceed  to  record,  in  a  few 
brief  sentences,  the  details  of  this  irreparable  public  calamity. 

Gen.  Jackson  ordered  Gen.  Hill  to  advance  with  his  di 
vision  in  the  manner  described,  reserving  his  fire  unless  cavalry 
approached  from  the  direction  of  the  enemy ;  and  then,  with 
that  burning  and  intense  enthusiasm  for  conflict  which  lay  un 
der  his  calm  exterior,  hastened  forward  to  the  line  of  skir 
mishers  who  were  hotly  engaged  in  front.  Such  was  his 
ardor,  at  this  critical  moment,  and  his  anxiety  to  penetrate 
the  movements  of  the  enemy,  doubly  screened  as  they  were 
by  the  dense  forest  and  gathering  darkness,  that  he  rode  ahead 
of  his  skirmishers,  and  exposed  himself  to  a  close  and -dan* 


254:  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

gerous  fire  from  the  enemy's  sharpshooters,  posted  in  the 
timber. 

So  great  was  the  danger  which  he  thus  ran,  that  one  of  his 
staff  said  :  u  General,  don't  you  think  this  is  the  wrong  place 
for  you  ?"  He  replied  quickly :  "  The  danger  is  all  over ; 
the  enemy  is  routed.  Go  back  and  tell  A.  P.  Hill  to  press 
right  on !"  Soon  after  giving  this  order,  General  Jackson 
turned,  and  accompanied  by  his  staff  and  escort,  rode  back  at 
a  trot,  on  his  well-known  "  Old  Sorrel "  toward  his  own  men. 
Unhappily  in  the  darkness — it  was  now  nine  or  ten  o'clock  at 
night — the  little  body  of  horsemen  was  mistaken  for  Federal 
cavalry  charging,  and  the  regiments  on  the  right  and  left  of 
the  road  fired  a  sudden  volley  into  them  with  the  most  lament 
able  results.  Capt.  Boswell  of  Gen.  Jackson's  staff  was  killed, 
and  borne  into  our  lines  by  his  horse ;  Col.  Crutchfield,  Chief 
of  Artillery,  was  wounded ;  and  two  couriers  were  killed. 
Gen.  Jackson  received  one  ball  in  his  left  arm,  two  inches 
below  the  shoulder  joint,  shattering  the  bone  and  severing  the 
chief  artery ;  a  second  passed  through  the  same  arm,  between 
the  elbow  and  wrist,  making  its  exit  through  the  palm  of  the 
hand  ;  a  third  ball  entered  the  palm  of  his  right  hand,  about 
the  middle,  and  passing  through,  broke  two  of  the  bones. 

He  fell  from  his  horse,  and  was  caught  by  Capt.  Wormly, 
to  whom  he  said,  "  All  my  wounds  are  by  my  own  men." 

The  firing  was  responded  to  by  the  enemy,  who  made  a  sud 
den  advance,  and,  the  Confederates  falling  back,  their  foes  ac 
tually  charged  over  Jackson's  body.  He  was  not  discovered, 
however,  and  the  Federals  being  driven  back  in  turn,  he  was 
rescued.  Ready  hands  placed  him  upon  a  litter,  and  he  was 
borne  to  the  rear,  amid  a  heavy  fire  from  the  enemy.  One  of 
the  litter-bearers  was  shot  down,  and  the  general  fell  from  the 
shoulders  of  the  men,  receiving  a  severe  contusion,  adding  to 
the  injury  of  the  arm  and  injuring  the  side  severely.  The 
enemy's  fire  of  artillery  on  the  point  was  terrible.  General 
Jackson  was  left  for  five  minutes  until  the  fire  slackened,  then 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  255 

placed  in  an  ambulance  and  carried  to  the  field-hospital  at 
Wilderness  Run.  He  lost  a  large  amount  of  blood,  and  at 
one  time  told  Dr.  McGuire  he  thought  he  was  dying,  and 
would  have  bled  to  death,  but  a  tourniquet  was  immediately 
applied.  For  two  hours  he  was  nearly  pulseless  from  the 
shock.  As  he  was  being  carried  from  the  field,  frequent  in 
quiries  was  made  by  the  soldiers,  "  Who  have  you  there  ?" 
He  told  the  doctor,  "  Do  not  tell  the  troops  I  am  wounded." 

To  conceal  his  fall  from  the  troops  was  important ;  but  there 
was  a  more  important  point  still — the  officer  to  succeed  to  the 
command.  Gen.  Hill  had  also  been  wounded,  and  the  briga 
diers  were  inexperienced  in  such  great  commands.  General 
Jackson  immediately  expressed  a  desire  that  General  Stuart 
should  direct  the  subsequent  movements  of  his  corps;  and  by 
a  coincidence  of  sentiment  Gen.  Rodes,  to  whom  the  command 
fell  when  Gen.  Hill  was  wounded,  had  already  dispatched  a 
messenger  to  Stuart.  When  he  arrived,  General  Stuart  re 
quested  Major  Pendleton,  A.  A.  Gen.,  to  go  to  Gen.  Jackson 
and  ask  what  his  dispositions  and  plans  were,  as  ke  "knew 
that  what  Gen.  Jackson  had  designed  was  the  very  best  that 
could  be  done."  When  this  message  was  delivered  to  the 
wounded  hero,  he  replied,  "  Go  back  to  General  Stuart  and 
tell  him  to  act  upon  his  own  judgment,  and  do  what  he  thinks 
best ;  I  have  implicit  confidence  in  him."* 

General  Stuart  assumed  command  of  the  corps,  and  was 
busily  engaged  throughout  the  night  in  preparing  for  a  con 
tinuation  of  the  conflict  on  the  morrow.  The  battle  of  the 
Wilderness  had  been  fought,  and  the  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville  was  to  succeed,  though  it  is  probable  that  in  spite  of  the 
separate  scenes  and  days,  the  whole  will  hereafter  be  known 
by  the  latter  name.  The  exertions  of  Stuart  were  unceasing 
throughout  the  night,  and  when  the  signal  for  the  advance*. 


*  These  details  are  given  upon  the  authority  of  Major  A.  H.  Pendle 
ton,  who  recalls  the  exact  words  used  hy  General  Jackson. 


256  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

was  given  on  the  following  morning,  it  was  the  prelude'  of 
victory. 

No  official  reports  of  these  great  battles  have  yet  been 
made,  and  in  the  absence  of  detailed  and  strictly  reliable  ac 
counts,  we  present  the  following  narrative  from  the  New  York 
World.  It  is  the  enemy  who  speaks,  and  when  he  describes 
the  Confederates  under  Stuart  "  sweeping  slowly,  but  confi 
dently,  determinedly,  and  surely  through  the  clearings,"  and 
acknowledges  "their  superiority  in  the  open  field  to  our 
men" — that  is  the  Federals — we  cannot  attribute  these  state 
ments  to  the  partiality  of  a  Southerner,  who  feels  bound  to 
commend  his  own  people,  and  uphold  them  under  all  circum 
stances.  The  writer  speaks  first  of  the  movements  on  Satur 
day,  which  we  have  just  described  : 

"Saturday. — General  Hooker  occupied  the  day  in  awaiting 
the  attack  of  the  enemy,  which  was  evidently  expected  in 
front.  The  movements  of  the  enemy  seemed  to  indicate  that 
they  were  retreating,  and  as  the  main  line  of  their  retreat  was 
occupied  by  our  forces,  an  attack  to  recover  that  line  was  con 
fidently  expected.  What  was  the  surprise,  then,  to  find 
Stonewall  Jackson,  on  Saturday  afternoon,  upon  our  extreme 
right  and  rear,  between  Chancellorsville  and  Germania  Klills? 
A  most  furious  and  desperate  attack  was  made,  and  the  right 
of  our  lines,  which  was  held  by  the  Eleventh  Corps,  was 
almost  instantly  broken,  and  the  panic-stricken  men,  in  utter 
confusion,  with  and  without  muskets,  hats,  and  coats,  rushed 
headlong  from  under  fire  down  the  only  road  which  led  to  the 
bridges,  and  no  power  on  earth  could  have  stopped  or  pre 
vented  the  complete  and  disgraceful  rout  of  the  soldiers  who 
have  hitherto  shown  better  qualities  under  their  former  com 
mander.  General  Howard  could  have  no  control  over  the 
cowardly  fugitives,  who  stopped  not  to  look  back  until  they 
reached  the  Rappahannock.  So  disgraceful  a  panic  has  not 
been  seen  in  this  army. 

"  The  Third  Corps,  under  General  Sickles,  was  interposed 
in  the  breach  thus  made,  and  the  excellent  .coolness  of  this 
officer,  with  the  better  qualities  which  his  corps  exhibited, 
saved  the  further  progress  of  the  panic  and  the  rout,  and  the 
evil  was  temporarily  stayed.  But  the  poison  was  infused ;  the 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  257 

other  corps  had  witnessed  the-utter  confusion  and  panic  of  one 
full  corps,  and  their  enthusiasm  was  from  that  moment  damp 
ened,  and  the  confidence  they  had  hitherto  felt  in  their  success 
under  General  Hooker  was  lost  in  the  reflection  that  they 
could  place  little  confidence  in  one  another. 

u  But  a  little  ground  was  lost  in  this  event,  yet  all  had  an 
ill-boding  sense  of  fear  that  our  men  would  not  prove  reliable, 
and  that  our  successes  thus  far  were  but  to  prove  fruitless  in 
the  end.  This  rout  of  the  Eleventh  (formerly  Siegel's)  Corps 
was  the  crisis.  This  was  the  turning  point,  from  which  our 
succeeding  misfortunes  can  be  most  distinctly  traced.  Satuf- 
day  closed  the  operations  of  the  first  week,  with  doubtful  pros 
pects  of  the  final  result,  and  the  previous  successes  of  the  right 
wing  seemed  destined  to  end  in  disaster. 

"  Sedgwick,  with  the  Sixth  Corps,  had,  at  this  time,  with 
drawn  to  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  taken  up  his  bridges,  and 
replaced  them  again  directly  in  front  of  Fredericksburg,  and 
prepared  for  an  assault  on  the  morrow  of  the  earthworks  back 
of  the  town. 

"  Sunday. — The  assault  of  General  Sedgwick  upon  the 
heights  of  Fredericksburg  was  commenced  on  Sunday  morn 
ing.  A  more  determined  and  desperate  attack  has  not  been 
made.  No  man  ever  attacked  the  fortifications  of  an  enemy 
with  more  enthusiasm  or  vigor.  The  bank  was  steep,  the  fire 
of  shot  and  shell  was  terrific,  and  the  slaughter  of  General 
Sumner's  Corps,  four  mouths  ago,  gave  little  promise  of  suc 
cess.  To  almost  certain  death  the  men  charged  up  and  car 
ried  the  works,  driving  the  artillerists  from  their  guns,  cap 
tured  twelve  pieces  of  the  best  and  heaviest  artillery,  and  many 
prisoners  of  war  in  their  trenches.  With  the  heaviest  losses, 
Sedgwick  followed  up  his  success  with  the  boldest  energy, 
and  pursued  the  enemy  toward  Chancellorsville  with  the  pur 
pose  of  uniting  with  General  Hooker  at  that  place. 

*'  But  this  brilliant  success  came  too  late,  for  the  enemy 
held  the  plank-road  which  the  rout  of  the  Eleventh  Corps 
had  yielded  to  them  on  the  previous  night,  and  the  enemy 
was  enabled  to  throw  any  sufficient  force  against  him  to  pre 
vent  his  junction  with  Hooker.  This  was  speedily  done,  and 
soon  Sedgwick's  fine  corps,  the  largest,  and  perhaps  the  best 
of  the  army,  was  cut  off  from  communication  either  with 
Hooker  or  with  Fredericksburg,  and,  thus  isolated,  was  com 
pelled  to  fall  back  upon  the  river  at  Banks'  Ford,  where 


258  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

bridges  had  been  thrown  over,  by  which,  if  severely  pressed, 
he  could  make  safe  his  retreat  across  the  Rappahannock  again. 
Thus  followed  misfortune  on  misfortune,  not  for  lack  of  skill  or 
bravery,  but  for  the  conduct  of  the  miscreants  who  had  fled 
from  their  position  on  the  previous  night  almost  upon  the  first 
attack  of  the  enemy. 

"  But  another  repulse  was  sustained  on  Sunday  morning 
by  the  army  near  Chancellorsville.  The  enemy  renewed  the 
attack,  and  again  drove  back  our  lines  for  half  a  mile.  From 
the  large  brick  house,  which  gives  the  name  to  this  vicinity, 
the  enemy  could  be  seen  sweeping  slowly,  but  confidently, 
determinedly,  and  surely,  through  the  clearings  which  extend 
ed  in  front.  Nothing  could  excite  more  admiration  for  the 
best  qualities  of  the  veteran  soldier  than  the  manner  in  which 
the  enemy  swept  out,  as  they  moved  steadily  onward,  the 
forces  which  were  opposed  to  them.  We  say  it  reluctantly, 
and  for  the  first  time,  that  the  enemy  have  shown  the  finest 
qualities;  and  we  acknowledge,  on  this  occasion,  their  superi 
ority  in  the  open  field  to  our  own  men. 

"  They  delivered  their  fire  with  precision,  and  were  appar 
ently  inflexible  and  immovable  under  the  storm  of  bullets  and 
shell  which  they  were  constantly  receiving.  Coming  to  a 
piece  of  timber,  which  was  occupied  by  a  division  of  our  own 
men,  half  the  number  were  detailed  to  clear  the  woods.  It 
seemed  certain  that  here  they  would  be  repulsed,  but  they 
marched  right  through  the  wood,  driving  our  own  soldiers 
out,  who  delivered  their  fire  and  fell  back,  halted  again,  fired 
and  fell  back  as  before,  seeming  to  concede  to  the  enemy,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  the  superiority  which  they  evidently  felt 
themselves.  Our  own  men  fought  well.  There  was  no  lack 
of  courage,  but  an  evident  feeling,  apparently  the  result  of 
having  been  so  often  whipped,  or  of  having  witnessed  the  rout 
on  the  night  previous,  that  they  were  destined  to  be  beaten, 
and  the  only  thing  for  them  to  do  was  to  fire  and  retreat. 
The  enemy  felt  confident  that  they  were  to  be  victorious,  and 
our  men  had,  from  some  occasion,  imbibed  the  same  impres 
sion.  Our  men  showed  lack  of  earnestness  and  enthusiasm, 
but  no  want  of  courage.  All  that  they  needed  was  the  inspi 
ration  of  a  series  of  victories  to  look  back  upon,  and  an  earnest 
ness  and  confidence  in  the  success  of  the  cause  for  which  they 
were  fighting.  Thus  ended  the  Sabbath  and  another  chapter 
in  the  series  of  our  disasters. 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  259 

"Monday — Another  day  of  misfortune ;  and  the  day  was 
hardly  ushered  iu  before  the  enemy  in  force  came  down  upon 
the  detachments  which  had  been  thought  sufficient  to  hold 
the  works  upon  the  heights  of  Fredericksburg.  First  a  bri 
gade,  then  a  division,  then  a  larger  force  came  in  upon  them, 
and,  after  strongly  contesting  the  position,  they  were  com 
pelled  to  yield  and  fall  back  under  the  protection  of  the  town. 
The  enemy  formed  their  line  of  battle  on  the  outskirts,  and 
within  the  town  the  two  brigades  of  General  Gibbon  held 
them  in  check  as  long  as  could  be.  Many  wounded  men 
were  here  in  the  hospitals,  and  the  position  was  maintained 
as  long  as  possible.  At  length  the  ground  was  given  up,  the 
troops  were  withdrawn,  the  bridges  taken  up,  and  Fredericks- 
burg  was  given  back  to  the  enemy. 

"  They  were  now  at  liberty  to  turn  their  attention  to  Sedg- 
wick,  and  they  lost  no  time  in  concentrating  their  forces 
against  him.  They  were  too  strong  for  him. 

"  After  a  most  obstinate  fight,  in  which  the  enemy  almost 
were  successful  in  destroying  his  bridges,  and  the  possibility 
of  his  escape,  he  made  good  his  retreat  also  to  the  east  bank 
of  the  Rappnhannock.  His  losses  were  appalling.  He  suf 
fered  terribly,  and  in  their  retreat  there  was  much  confusion 
and  disorder  among  the  troops.  A  few  at  the  first  onset  laid 
down  their  arms  and  yielded  themselves  up  prisoners  without 
firing  a  musket,  but  generally  the  men  of  this  corps  displayed 
the  greatest  gallantry  in  fighting,  and  only  yielded  when 
overpowered  bv  superior  numbers. 

"  Tuesday — By  this  time  the  aspect  of  affairs  had  become 
exceedingly  dark.  The  troops  were  much  dispirited,  and  al 
though  they  had  held  their  position  on  Monday,  the  prospect 
of  meeting  the  combined  forces  of  the  enemy  with  large  re 
inforcements,  which  they  were  known  to  have  received,  was 
exceedingly  unpromising.  A  severe  storm  appeared  also  on 
Tuesday  afternoon,  swelling  the  Rappahannock  to  a  torrent, 
and  threatening  to  carry  away  the  bridges.  Tuesday  night 
the  army  of  the  Rappahannock  was  withdrawn,  and  our  en 
tire  force  brought  asjam  to  this  side  cf  the  river,  with  the 
exception  of  many  dead  and  wounded,  who  were  left  behind 
to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  enemy." 

Such  is  the  history  of  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville  given 
in  a  Northern  journal.  Let  us  conclude  with  the  comment 


260  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON. 

of  the  editor  of  that  journal — the  New  York  World.  It  is 
a  morsel  which  should  not  be  lost;  and  we  rescue  it  from  the 
oblivion  of  newspaper  literature  for  the  benefit  of  the  future 
historians  of  this  epoch.  Here  is  the  criticism  : 

"  In  view  of  the  pleasing  delusions  which  the  administra 
tion  is  now  endeavoring  to  propagate,  it  would  be  well,  per 
haps,  to  outline  some  of  the  leading  facts  in  this  short  cam 
paign,  from  which  the  reader  can  draw  his  own  moral : 

"  1.  It  is  not  true  that  Lee  was  surprised  or  deceived  by 
Hooker's  movement  across  the  Rappahannock.  .  From  the 
Richmond  papers  of  last  Saturday,  it  is  clear  that  the  Con 
federate  military  leaders  understood  it  perfectly,  and  deliber 
ately  allowed  our  army  to  cross,  confident  of  their  ability  to 
defeat,  if  not  destroy  it.  Forney,  in  the  Philadelphia  Press, 
states  that  Hooker  was  induced  to  cross  by  the  assurances  of 
his  spies  and  scouts  that  the  only  army  to  oppose  him  was  one 
of  forty  thousand  under  Jackson,  Lee  being  sick  and  his 
army  scattered.  The  Baltimore  Secessionists  had  the  same 
report,  and  believed  it.  Gen.  Hooker,  therefore,  at  the  very 
start,  was  the  deceived  party,  and  walked  straight  into  the 
trap  prepared  for  him. 

"  2-.  The  great  cavalry  raid,  which  was  an  entire  success, 
did  Gen.  Hooker  no  good,  because  it  did  not  preceed  instead 
of  accompanying  his  movements.  Lee's  reinforcements  had 
all  arrived  before  the  destruction  of  the  railroads  and  bridges. 
To  him  this  is  now  only  a  temporary  inconvenience.  Had 
Hooker  retained  his  cavalry  with  his  army,  it  would  have 
been  far  better  for  him.  He  could  have  captured  several 
thousand  more  prisoners  when  Fredericksburg  WHS  taken;  and, 
more  than  all,  could  have  prevented  Jackson's  surprise  of  his 
flank  and  rear.  They  might  have  changed  the  complexion  of 
the  fight. 

u  Gen.  Hooker's  division  of  his  army  was  as  disastrous  in 
this  instance  as  have  been  all  such  in  former  military  history. 
It  is  known  that  Gen.  Hal  leek  utterly  disapproved  of  this 
dispersion  of  the  Union  forces,  and  the  result  proved  that  in 
this  case,  at  least,  he  was  right.  If  Lee  had  furnished  Hooker 
with  a  plan,  it  could  not  have  been  more  to  his  liking.  He 
first  hurled  all  his  forces  upon  Hooker,  and  beat  him  ;  this 
was  on  Saturday  and  Sunday,  and  then  on  Monday  he  re 
possessed  the  heights  of  Fredericksburg,  and  drove  Sedgvvick 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  261 

across  the  river,  with  the  loss  of  one-third  of  his  force.  Thus 
Lee,  with  one  great  array,  beat  two  smaller  armies  in  detail. 

"  4.  The  battles  of  Saturday  and  Sunday  were  indisputable 
rebel  victories,  as  the  enemy's  attack  upon  Sedgwick  on  Mon 
day  proved.  The  latter  was  defeated  almost  before  Hooker's 
eyes,  and  the  latter  could  not  even  make  a  diversion  to  save 
him.  Lee  and  Jackson  drove  our  army  steadily  from  point  to 
point  until  it  was  crowded  back  upon  the  south  bank  of  the 
river.  Our  artillery,  which,  according  to  the  rebel  accounts, 
was  splendidly  served,  no  doubt  saved  what  remained  of  the 
army. 

"  5.  The  retreat  across  the  river,  according  to  Lee's  dispatch 
to  Jeff.  Davis,  commenced  on  Sunday  night,  and  was  in  con 
sequence  of  his  signal  victory.  The  administration's  statement 
is  that  it  was  commenced  on  Tuesday  night,  simply  as  a  mat 
ter  of  precaution  on  account  of  the  storm  and  the  rising 
stream.  Lee's  account  has  all  the  known  facts  and  the  proba 
bilities  on  its  side.  The  Union  correspondents  all  agree  that 
the  stores  and  baggage  were  moved  to  the  north  bank  on 
Monday,  leaving  nothing  but  the  artillery  and  infantry  to  cross 
on  Tuesday.  The  fierce  storm  of  that  day  probably  saved  the 
bulk  of  our  army,  which  was  passed  over  at  night. 

"  6.  Gen.  Hooker's  statement  of  his  losses  reads  as  if  it 
was  made  by  Gen.  Wadsworth.  He  says  his  total  loss  in 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  will  not  be  more  than  ten  thous 
and  men.  If  this  be  true,  there  are  several  circumstances 
that  need  explaining  badly.  Gen.  Sedgwick  alone,  all  the  ac 
counts  agree,  lost  one-third  his  force,  or  about  six  thousand 
men  ;  but  call  it  five  thousand.  The  capture  of  Fredericks- 
burg,  and  the  storming  of  the  heights  in  its  rear  on  Sunday, 
lost  us  eight  hundred  men  in  killed  and  wounded.  This 
would  leave  but  little  over  four  thousand  to  have  been  killed, 
wounded,  and  captured  in  the  tremendous  battles  of  Saturday 
and  Sunday,  when,  at  the  very  least,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  men  met  in  deadly  conflict.  If  Hooker  and  Lee 
commanded  Chinese  armies,  this  might  have  been  possible ; 
but  as  they  were  Americans  on  both  sides,  it  is  simply  incredi 
ble.  The  rout  of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  and  the  driving  back  of 
our  whole  lines  for  two  days  in  succession,  must  have  cost  us 
— we  will  not  say  how  many  men,  but  certainly  more  than 
four  thousand.  Judged  by  the  other  battles  of  the  war,  this 
fight  ought  to  have  put  twenty -five  thousand  men  hors  du  com 
bat.  Gen.  Hooker  may  be  right  in  his  estimate,  but  if  he  is, 
the  fighting  on  both  sides  was  disgraceful. 


262  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

"  But  the  theme  is  too  painful  to  dwell  upon.  The  whole 
management  of  the  campaign  shows  a  painful  lack  both  of 
capacity  and  true  courage,  of  mental  force  and  a  high  sense 
of  honor.  Our  rulers  are  alike  incapable  and  unveracious." 

Such  was  the  epitaph  of  Gen.  Hooker  1 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

"  IT    IS    ALL    RIGHT." 

ALL  day  long  on  Sunday,  while  the  great  conflict  was  roar 
ing  around  Chancellorsville,  Jackson  lay  at  Wilderness  Run, 
faint,  motionless,  but  thrilling  at  this  sound  so  long  familiar  to 
his  ears. 

Never  before  had  the  famous  soldier  been  compelled  to  re 
tire  from  the  field — for  at  Manassas,  though  wounded,  he  still 
retained  the  command  of  his  brigade  ;  and  it  must  have  stirred 
his  fiery  soul  to  its  very  depths  to  find  himself  thus  prostrate 
and  powerless  as  an  infant  while  the  great  battle,  big  with 
weal  or  woe  for  his  beloved  country,  was  being  fought  a  few 
miles  distant  from  the  couch  on  which  he  lay. 

But  there  was  no  choice  left  him.  The  fatal  balls  had 
torn  through  flesh,  and  muscle,  and  artery.  His  life  was 
even  then  ebbing  away  ;  and  he  could  only  submit  his  spirit 
humbly  to  the  decree  of  that  merciful  God  who  had  never 
deserted  him,  and  to  whom  he  bowed  with  simple,  childlike 
humility. 

He  had  lost  so  much  blood  before  a  surgeon  could  be  found 
in  the  confusion  and  darkness,  that  he  was  for  a  long  time 
nearly  pulseless.  But  reaction  finally  took  place  ;  he  revived ; 
and  a  thorough  examination  was  made  of  the  nature  and  ex 
tent  of  his  injuries.  They  were  found  to  be  very  serious,  and 
the  result  of  a  consultation  between  Drs.  McGuire,  Black, 


JL         LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Coleman   and  Walls,  was  that  amputation  of  the  arm   should 
be  immediately  resorted  to. 

This  decision  of  the  surgeons  was  guardedly  communicated 
to  him.  -  Hj^  was  asked — "If  we  find  amputation  necessary 
shall  it  be  done  at  once  ?"  He  replied  with  alacrity  and  that 
cheerful  disregard  of  pain  which  was  a  part  of  his  manly  spirit : 

"Yes!  certainly.  Dr.  McGuire  do  for  me  whatever  you 
think  right." 

Preparations  were  accordingly  made  for  performing  the 
operation,  and  the  patient  having  been  put  under  the  influ 
ence  of  chloroform,  his  arm  was  taken  off  without  subjecting 
him,  apparently,  to  very  great  pain.  He  slept  well  after  the 
operation,  and  when  he  woke  asked  for  Mrs.  Jackson,  and  re 
quested  that  she  might  be  sent  for. 

His  thoughts  then  turned  to  the  battle  which  was  at  the 
time  in  progress,  and  he  seemed^l)  have  no  doubt  that  it 
would  result  in  victory  for  the  jK federates.  He  spoke  of 
the  attack  which  he  had  made  o|3he  preceding  evening,  and 
said  with  a  glow  of  martial  ardor  and  a  proudsmile : 

"  If  I  had  not  been  wounded,jor  hadl^^  Aour  more 
of  daylight,  I  would  have  cut  o^ppWlWpl^m  the  road 
4^  United  States  Ford ;  we  would  have  had  them  entirely 
surrounded ;  and  they  would  have  been  obliged  to  surrender 
or  cut  their  way  out — they  had  no  other  alternative.  My 
troops  may  sometimes  fail  in  driving  an  enemy  from  a  posi 
tion  ;  but  the  enemy  always  fails  to  drive  my  men  from  a 
position." 

He  did  not  complain  of  his  wounds,  and  never  referred  to 
them  unless  a  direct  question  was  addressed  to  him  on  the 
subject  by  some  one.  He  spoke,  however,  of  the  fall  from 
the  litter  as  he  was  being  borne  from  the  field  ;  and,  although 
no  contusion  or  abrasion  was  perceptible  from  this  accident, 
declared  that  it  had- done  him  injury. 

About  this  time  he  had  the  great  satisfaction  of  receiving 
from  the  commander  whom  he  loved  and  admired  so  warmly 


264:  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

that  note  which  we  have  placed  as  a  motto  on  the  title  page 
of  this  book.     It  was  in  these  words : 

"  I  have  just  received  your  note,  informing  me  that  'you 
were  wounded.  I  cannot  express  my  regret  at  the  occur 
rence.  Could  I  have  directed  events,  I  should  have  chosen, 
for  the  good  of  the  country,  to  have  been  disabled  in  your 
stead.  I  congratulate  you  on  the  victory  which  is  due  to 
your  skill  and  energy." 

This  supreme  recognition  from  his  commanding  general  oi 
the  loss  which  the  cause  had  sustained  when  he  was  wounded, 
proved  most  grateful  to  his  feelings,  and  will  remain  his  no 
blest  epitaph. 

The  regret  of  Gen.  Lee  at  this  deplorable  event  was  in 
deed  poignant.  The  soul  of  the  great  commander  was  moved 
to  its  depths ;  and  he  who  had  so  long  learned  to  conceal  emo 
tion,  could  not  control  his  anguish.  "Jackson  will  not — he 
cannot  die  !"  General  Lee  exclaimed,  in  a  broken  voice,  and 
waving  every  one  from  him  with  his  hand — "  he  cannot  die  !" 

But  the  hours  were  hastening  on — Sunday  passed ;  the 
wounded  man  sleeping  well  in  the  afternoon  ;  and  Monday 
came. 

His  physicians  now  deemed  it  advisable  to  remove  him  to 
some  point  where  he  could  be  more  quiet ;  and,"  accordingly, 
he  was  carried  to  Mr.  Chancellor's,  near  Guinea's  Depot,  on 
the  Richmond,  Fredericksburg,  and  Potomac  Railroad,  about 
eight  miles  from  Hamilton's  Crossing,  where  every  arrange 
ment  was  made  to  insure  his  comfort  and  careful  treatment. 
During  the  ride  from  the  Wilderness  to  Guinea's,  he  com 
plained  greatly  of  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  in  addition  to  the 
wet  applications  applied  to  his  wound,  begged  that  a  wet  cloth 
might  be  laid  upon  his  stomach.  He  declared  that  this  gave 
him  great  relief,  and  on  Monday  night  he  slept  well,  and  ate 
with  relish  in  the  morning. 

During  the  ride  to  Guinea's,  he  had  maintained  his  serene 
and  cheerful  bearing,  and  talked  much  in  reference  to  the 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  265 

battle  of  Saturday.  He  spoke  of  the  gallant  bearing  of  Gen. 
Rodes,  and  said  that  his  commission  as  Major-general  ought 
to  date  from  that  day ;  and  of  the  grand  charge  of  the  old 
Stonewall  Brigade  in  the  battle  of  Sunday,  which  he  had 
heard  of.  He  asked  after  all  his  officers,  and  said  : 

"  The  men  who  live  through  this  war  will  be  proud  to  say, 
1 1  was  one  of  the  Stonewall  Brigade  1 '  to  their  children." 

With  that  grand  modesty  which  ever  characterized  him,  he 
hastened,  however,  to  guard  this  declaration  even  from  the 
appearance  of  egotism  ;  and  earnestly  declared  that  the  name 
of  "Stonewall"  did  not  belong  to  him;  it  was  the  name 
given  to  his  old  brigade,  and  their  property  alone. 

On  Tuesday  his  wounds  were  doing  very  well,  and  he  evi 
dently  looked  forward  to  a  speedy  recovery.  He  said  to  his 
physician :  "  Can  you  tell  me,  from  the  appearance  of  my 
wounds,  how  long  I  will  be  kept  from  the  field  ?"  and  when 
told  that  they  were  doing  remarkably  well,  he  exhibited  very 
great  satisfaction.  He  had  no  pain  in  the  side,  and  thought 
himself  well  enough  to  see  and  converse  with  his  staff;  but  he 
was  advised  against  this  by  his  attendants,  and  did  not  persist. 

On  Wednesday,  his  wounds  continued  to  look  remarkably 
well,  and  he  was  now  regarded  as  so  far  out  of  danger,  that 
preparations  were  made  to  carry  him  by  railroad  to  Richmond. 
A  rain,  however,  which  had  set  in,  prevented  this  design, 
and  he  was  not  removed.  On  this  night,  while  Dr.  McGuire, 
who  had  not  closed  his  eyes  for  three  nights,  was  snatching  a 
little  rest,  the  general  complained  of  nausea,  and  ordered  his 
body-servant,  Jim,  to  place  a  wet  towel  on  his  stomach.  This 
was  done,  but  with  bad  results.  The  surgeon  was  waked  by 
Jim  at  daylight,  and  informed  that  his  master  was  suffering 
very  much.  The  pain  was  in  the  right  side,  and  was  due 
partly  to  the  heavy  fall  from  the  litter  while  being  borne  from 
the  battle-field,  and  partly  to  incipient  pneumonia,  which 
now  began  to  develop  itself. 

This  was  on  the  morning  of  Thursday,  and  later  in  the  day 
12 


266  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

Mrs.  Jackson  arrived.  The  presence  of  his  wife  seemed  to 
afford  the  general  very  great  joy,  and  thenceforth  she  nursed 
him  to  the  moment  of  his  death. 

The  remainder  of  the  sorrowful  record  will  not  fill  much 
space,  or  occupy  the  attention  of  the  reader  many  moments. 
The  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  destinies  of  humanity,  had  decreed 
that  this  pure  and  majestic  spirit  should  pass  from  earth  to  a 
happier  and  more  peaceful  realm  ;  the  hours  of  the  great  sol 
dier  were  numbered ;  he  had  fought  his  last  battle,  finished 
his  work,  and  now  was  about  to  receive  that  crown  laid  up  for 
those  who  believe  in  Him  who  governs  all  things. 

On  Thursday  evening  all  pain  had  ceased;  but  a -mortal 
prostration  came  on,  from  which  he  never  recovered.  He  still 
conversed  feebly,  and  said  : 

"  I  consider  these  wounds  a  blessing ;  they  were  given*  me 
for  some  good  and  wise  purpose,  and  I  would  not  part  with 
them  if  I  could." 

From  this  time  he  continued  to  sink,  and  on  Sunday  morn 
ing  it  was  obvious  that  he  could  only  live  a  few  hours  longer. 
His  mind  was  still  clear,  however,  and  he  asked  Major  Pen- 
dleton,  his  adjutant-general,  "  who  was  preaching  at  head 
quarters  on  that  day  ?"  Mrs.  Jackson  was  with  him  during 
his  last  moments,  and  conversed  with  him  fully  and  freely. 
She  informed  him  that  he  was  about  to  die,  and  his  reply  was : 

"  Very  good,  very  good  ;  it  is  all  right  /" 

He  then  sent  messages  to  all  his  friends,  the  generals  and 
others,  and  murmured  in  a  low  voice  his  wish  to  be  buried  in 
"  Lexington,  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia." 

His  mind  then  began  to  wander ;  and  that  delirium  which 
seizes  upon  the  most  powerful  minds,  the  most  vigorous  brains, 
at  the  mysterious  moment  when  the  last  sands  fall  from  the 
glass,  began  to  affect  him.  He  gave  orders  to  the  commissary 
of  his  corps,  the  surgeons,  and  the  commanders.  Among  the 
last  words  which  escaped  his  lips  were : 

"  A.  P.  Hill,  prepare  for  action !" 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON.  267 

After  this,  he  speedily  sank;  and  at  fifteen  minutes  past 
three  in  the  evening,  he  tranquilly  expired. 

Such  was  the  death  of  Jackson ;  serene,  resigned,  hopeful. 
He  who  had  passed  through  a  thousand  perils  expired  of 
disease  upon  his  bed,  surrounded  by  weeping  friends,  who 
were  taught  by  that  august  spectacle  how  a  Christian  soldier 
can  die. 

The  body  of  the  dead  hero  was-  conveyed  to  Richmond ; 
and  here  a  great  and  solemn  pageant  marked  the  universal 
sense  of  loss.  The  body,  embalmed  and  prepared  during  the 
night,  was  placed  in  a  metallic  coffin  in  the  reception-room  at 
the  Governor's.  Bouquets  of  flowers,  and  wreaths,  the  tributes 
of  the  tender  hearts  of  women,  covered  the  pall ;  and  around 
the  coffin  was  wrapped  the  snow-white  banner  of  the  Confed 
erate  States. 

At  the  hour  appointed  the  coffin  was  borne  to  the  hearse, 
a  signal  gun  was  fired  from  near  the  Equestrian  Statue  in  the 
Square,  and  the  great  procession  began  to  move  to  the  solemn 
strains  of  the  Dead  March  in  Saul.  The  hearse  was  preceded 
by  two  regiments  of  General  Pickett's  division,  with  arms 
reversed;  that  general  and  his- staff ;  the  Fayette  artillery, 
and  Wrenn's  company  of  cavalry.  Behind  came  the  horse  of 
the  dead  soldier,  caparisoned  for  battle,  and  led  by  a  groom  ; 
his  staff  officers  ;  members  of  the- Old  Stonewall  Brigade,  in 
valids  and  wounded,  with  downcast  looks ;  and  then  a  vast 
array  of  officials,  President  Davis,  members  of  the  Cabinet, 
Generals  Longstreet,  Elzey,  Winder,  Garnett,  Kemper,  Corse, 
Commodore  Forrest,  with  the  judges,  citizens,  and  good  people 
generally  of  the  city. 

The  procession,  nearly  a  mile  in  length,  moved  down  Gov- 
ernor's-street,  and  up  to  the  head  of  Main-street,  whence  it 
returned  to  the  western  gate  of  the  Capitol  Square,  where  a 
countless  multitude  had  assembled  to  see  it  enter.  The  hearse 
moved  to  the  steps  of  the  Capitol,  the  band  playing  a  low 
dirge;  and  lifting  the  coffin,  the  pall-bearers,  General  Long- 


268  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL  JACKSON. 

street  and  others,  bore  it  into  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Rep 
resentatives,  where  it  was  deposited  upon  a  sort  of  altar,  cov 
ered  with  white  linen,  looped  up  with  crape,  in  front  of  the 
Speaker's  chair.  The  crowd  was  then  admitted  ;  and  old  and 
young,  the  gray-haired  man  and  the  child — 20,000  persons  it 
was  estimated — looked  upon  the  wan  countenance  of  the  great 
soldier. 

"The  face  of  the  dead,"  says  a  writer  in  one  of  the  journals, 
"displayed  the  same  indomitable  lines  of  firmness,  with  the 
long,  slightly  aquiline  nose,  and  high  forehead,  of  marble  white 
ness  ;  but  the  cheeks  presented  a  deep  pallor.  The  eyelids 
were  firmly  closed,  the  mouth  natural,  and  the  whole  contour 
of  the  face  composed,  the  full  beard  and  moustache  remaining. 
The  body  was  dressed  in  a  full  citizen's  suit,  it  being  the  ob 
ject  of  his  friends,  and  we  doubt  not,  the  nation's  wish,  to  pre 
serve  the  uniform  in  which  he  fought  and  fell." 

From  the  Capitol  the  remains  of  Jackson  were  borne  to 
Lexington,*  where  he  had  lived  so  long,  passed  so  many  happy 
hours  in  other  years,  and  to  which  his  thoughts  went  back  in 
those  last  moments  when  he  murmured,  "Bury  me  in  Lexing 
ton,  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia." 

"Lexington  !"  That  town  has  witnessed  the  peaceful  labors 
of  the  professor ;  the  calm  researches  of  the  quiet  student ; 
the  serene  enjoyments  of  the  good  husband  and  friend. 
Thence  he  had  departed  to  enter  upon  the  career  which  was 
to  make  his  name  a  famous  one  forever,  in  the  annals  of  a 
mighty  nation  and  a  tragic  epoch — to  crown  him  with  glory 
and  honor  as  the  right  arm  and  chief  hope  of  a  great  people. 
From  Lexington,  where  he  had  been  so  happy,  he  went  upon 
that  path  of  danger  and  trial  which  was  to  render  him  so 
famous.  He  murmured  "  Lexington !  Lexington !"  as  the 
German  exiles  are  said  to  murmur,  "  The  Rhine  !  the  Rhine  !" 

"  The  Valley  of  Virginia !"  Those  words  too  had,  doubt 
less,  a  magical  influence  upon  the  stern  and  unimaginative 
soul  of  the  celebrated  leader^  They  conjured  up  visions  of 


LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  -       269 

his  chief  glories  won  upon  that  old  familiar,  long-loved  soil. 
They  meant  Kernstown  !  McDowell !  Winchester  1  Cross 
Keys !  Port  Republic !  There  was  scarce  a  foot  of  the  great 
highways  of  that  region  but  had  been  trodden  by  him  and  his 
soldiers  ;  scarce  a  mile  over  which  he  had  not  fought.  There 
his  steps  had  been  clogged  with  battles — and  almost  every 
encounter  was  a  victory.  For  that  sacred  earth  he  had  fought 
so  long  and  persistently ;  thence  he  had  so  frequently  driven 
the  hireling  invader ;  every  foot  was  dear  to  him  from  the 
mouth  of  the  beautiful  Shenandoah  to  its  source ;  and  for  its 
freedom  he  had  cheerfully  risked  all  that  man  possesses.  He 
had  delivered  that  lovely  land  from  all  its  foes ;  and,  lying 
powerless  there  near  Fredericksburg,  his  heart  turned  fondly 
to  the  scene  of  his  happiness  and  his^fame.  In  that  earth 
which  he  had  redeemed — the  soil  of  the  Valley  of  Virginia — 
he  desired  his  ashes  to  repose. 

There  they  now  rest.  The  same  great  honors  which  had 
saluted  the  remains  of  the  famous  general  in  Richmond,  were 
paid  them  at  Lexington ;  and  there  his  body  was  committed 
to  the  mother-earth. 

The  journals  report  that  some  loving  hand  planted  on  his 
grave  a  piece  of  laurel  brought  from  the  grave  of  Napoleon 
at  St.  Helena ;  and  if  a  comparison  of  the  military  genius 
of  the  two  was  meant,  the  tribute  was  not  inappropriate.  But 
a  greater  than  Napoleon  slept  in  the  graveyard  near  the  quiet 
Virginia  town — one  allied  to  him  in  capacity  for  making  war, 
nor  his  inferior  ; — in  all  else  wholly  and  incomparably  supe 
rior. 

On  their  death-beds,  these  two  men,  Napoleon  and  Jack 
son,  displayed  their  radical  difference  of  character  and  senti 
ment. 

Napoleon  died  with  the  fierce  cry,  "  Tete  d1  armee !"  upon 
his  lips. 

Almost  the  last  wo*ds  of  Jackson  were,  "  It  is  all  right !" 

As  long  as  his  thought  went  wandering  to  the  field  of  bat- 


270  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

tie,  his  muttered  words  were  busy  with  those  scenes  of  duty. 
"  A.  P.  Hill,  prepare  for  action  !"  came  from  the  dying  man  , 
but  soon  a  greater  subject  absorbed  his  attention. 

"  It  is  all  right,"  expressed  his  sublime  trust  in  God :  hit 
submission  to  the  divine  decree  which  had  struck  him  down. 

Napoleon  trusted  in  his  star — Jackson  in  God.  Napoleon 
was  a  pure  and  simple  fatalist:  Jackson's  motto  was,  "Do 
your  duty,  and  leave  the  rest  to  Providence." 

One  was  a  great  soldier  of  imperial  genius — but  no  more. 
The  other  was  a  mighty  leader,  but  an  humble,  faithful  child 
of  God,  as  well. 

He  accepted  the  lot  decreed  him  by  the  Almighty  Father 
with  submission  and  an  humble  hope,  believing  that  what 
ever  God  permitted  was  the  best. 

Let  us,  too,  trust  that  all  is  well,  and  look  beyond  the 
storm — beyond  the  darkness,  blood,  and  mourning  of  the  pres 
ent — with  serene  trust  in  Him  who  rules  the  destinies  of 
men  and  nations. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

JACKSON,    THE    SOLDIER    AND    THE    MAN. 

OUR  poor,  brief  record  of  this  splendid  career  is  finished. 
"Would  it  were  worthier!" — but  one  merit  it  -at  least  pos- 
seses,  that  of  truth. 

Thus  fought  and  fell  the  great  leader  who  had  attracted  to 
himself  so  much  of  the  affection,  the  respect,  the  admiration 
of  his  countrymen — thus  passed  before  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
and  into  the  shadow  of  the  tomb,  the  lofty  figure  which  will 
live  forever  in  the  memories  of  the  Southern  people,  as  in 
every  heart. 

It  is  hard  to  convey  an  adequate  idea  of  the  effect  produced 
by  the  death  of  the  illustrious  general.  When  the  "invin 
cible  Stonewall  Jackson"  was  thus  conquered  by  a  stronger 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON.  271 

enemy  than  man,  something  of  strength,  of  hope,  of  life  ap 
peared  to  be  removed  from  every  heart.  Falling,  he  seeme<l 
to  take  away  the  charm  and  prestige  of  victory.  The  sun 
shine  seemed  less  bright,  the  future  dark  with  clouds  and 
gloom.  His  name  had  been  a  tower  of  strength  to  all,  and 
when  this  mighty  bulwark  of  the  Southern  cause  was  over 
thrown,  Heaven  seemed  to  frown  upon  us,  and  to  punish  us. 

It  was  not  the  loss  of  the  leader  only  that  men  mourned  ; 
it  was  the  friend,  the  benefactor,  the  father  who  was  taken 
from  the  people.  No  one  remembered  that  Jackson  was  not 
forty  when  he  died — nor  regarded  him  otherwise  than  as  the 
mature  patriot  of  age  and  experience,  with  all  the  wisdom  of 
gray  hairs.  Men  looked  up  to  him,  as  of  old  the  Greeks  did 
to  the  wise  Ulysses  or  the  thoughtful  Nestor — as  to  one  who 
was  competent  to  hear  and  decide,  as  well  as  to  act,  in  every 
emergency.  There  was  something  childlike  in  the  sentiment 
with  which  the  whole  nation  mourned  his  death.  They  lis 
tened  to  the  announcement  with  a  hnsh  of  awe,  with  that 
silence  which  salutes  a  great  and  irreparable  public  calamity. 
Strong  men  wept  for  him,  with  a  sense  of  loss  and  desola 
tion,  as  children  weep  for  the  great  head  of  their  house,  who 
crowned  with  honors,  and  in  the  fulness  of  age,  descends 
into  the  tomb.  His  veterans  mourned  as  men  do  rarely — 
dumb  and  still  before  this  terrible  fatality ;  and  General  Lee, 
who  knew  his  incomparable  value  more  than  all  other  men, 
exclaimed,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "  He  is  better  off  than  I  am. 
He  lost  his  left  arm,  but  /  have  lost  my  right !"  All  classes 
shared  this  sentiment.  "  Jackson  is  dead  !"  sounded  like  the 
tolling  of  great  bells,  like  the  death-knell  to  every  heart. 
Dead  ?  He  who  had  been  so  long  the  King  of  combat  ? — 
upon  whose  banner  victory  had  perched  whenever  he  delivered 
battle  ? — the  invincible  Stonewall  Jackson  dead  and  gone  like 
a  common  every-day  mortal  ?  The  truth  could  scarcely  be 
realized  !  Who  could  supply  his  place  ?  Who  could  lead  his 
veterans  to  victory  as  he  had  led  them?  His  form  had 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

towered  in  the  van  so  long,  that  men  began  to  look  upon  him 
as  the  man  of  Fate,  predestined  not  to  fall  until  his  work  was 
finished,  and  seeing  that  the  conflict  was  not  ended,  they  were 
struck  with  wonder. 

Did  God  decree  his  death  to  administer  a  rebuke  to  this 
man-worship  ? — to  show  that  all  men  were  His  instruments, 
and  that  He  could  raise  them  up  or  strike  them  down  ?  We 
cannot  solve  the  problem,  and  bow  in  humble  submission  to 
the  inexplicable  decree,  well  satisfied  that  "  all  is  right."  We 
only  know  that  the  hand  of  God  beckoned  to  him,  and  he 
went  from  us — humble,  childlike,  with  supreme  trust  in  Him 
whom  he  had  so  long  looked  to.  Let  us  take  comfort  from 
the  circumstances  of  his  death,  and  be  glad  that  he  thus 
passed  away — that  the  hero  of  a  hundred  battles  died  in  his 
bed,  with  loving  friends  around  him — not  upon  some  wild 
stricken  field — died  very  tranquilly,  without  the  racking 
pains  of  dissolution,  but  as  calmly  as  a  child,  his  great  lite 
ebbing  wave  after  wave  away. 

The  aim  of  this  sketch  has  been  to  supply  in  a  convenient 
form,  and  without  delay,  the  facts  of  the  illustrious  soldier's 
career.  The  full  delineation  of  the  individual  in  his  characters 
of  soldier  and  citizen — husband,  father,  and  friend — must  be 
left  to  other  times  and  more  competent  hands.  It  will  not  be 
inappropriate,  however,  to  hazard,  even  here,  and  pressed  by 
the  emergencies  of  the  moment,  some  notices  of  the  peculiari 
ties  of  Gen.  Jackson's  character  and  genius. 

Where  the  opposing  forces  are  any  thing  like  equal,  war  is  a 
contest  of  brains.  It  is  the  generals  who  do  the  fighting,  so 
to  speak,  and  not  the  soldiers.  If  one  overcomes  the  other, 
and  defeats  or  destroys  his  army,  the  inquirer  will  not  have  to 
go  very  far  to  discover  the  reason.  One  side  is  victor  because 
the  general  was  a  better  master  of  the  art  of  making  war  than 
his  opponent — because  his  plans  were  deeper,  his  insight  into 
those  of  the  enemy  more  penetrating,  his  execution  more 
rapid,  or  his  nerve  more  steady  and  indomitable.  As  at  chess 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  273 

— the  opponents  may  start  equal,  without  advantage  on  either 
side ;  but  the  brain  of  Morphy  will  easily  win  the  game. 
Advance  another  step :  let  us  say  that  the  armies,  instead  of 
equal,  are  greatly  unequal — that  humanly  speaking,  one  is 
sure  to  be  defeated  by  the  other,  unless  some  force  sufficient 
to  turn  the  balance  be  thrown  into  the  scale  against  numbers. 

Then  the  general  who  wins  the  day  is  a  general  indeed ! 

"  These  were  soldiers  indeed!"  Jackson  said  at  Cold  Har 
bor,  as  he  looked  at  the  ditch  and  abatis  over  which  the 
Texans  charged  on  the  enemy's  batteries,  and  took  them,  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet.  "He  was  a  soldier  indeed!'1''  will 
be  the  verdict  of  history  in  summing  up  the  career  and  char 
acter  of  Jackson. 

The  fate  of  many  distinguished  soldiers  had  been  his.  Col 
onel  Jackson  of  the  early  days  of  Patterson  in  the  Valley 
was  acknowledged  to  be  a  hard  man  to  deal  with  at  close 
quarters,  and  all  that  was  necessary  it  was  said,  was  a  brain 
to  think  for  him — a  competent  superior  to  plan  his  movements 
and  tell  him  when  to  attack  or  retire.  That  opinion  lasted 
for  some  time.  Colonel  Jackson  could  fight  harder  than  any 
other  man — was  a  veritable  bull-dog  indeed,  an<t"  invaluable 
in  his  place — but  he  was  in  his  proper  place,  and  should  be 
kept  there. 

Then  he  fought  his  way  to  the  command  of  a  brigade.  The 
old  criticism  followed  him.  Brigadier-general  Jackson  was 
an  excellent  officer,  had  handled  his  command  with  distin 
guished  success,  but  he  had  now,  it  was  certain,  touched  his 
limit.  A  few  regiments  were  not  beyond  his  faculties,  and 
his  success  with  this  "Stonewall  Brigade,"  which  people 
began  to  hear  about,  was  unquestionable  ;  but  the  command 
of  a  division  was  quite  another  thing — above  all,  of  a  division 
detached  from  the  rest  of  the  army,  and  constituting  an  army 
in  itself.  The  responsibility  would  be  far  too  great  for  the 
man  ;  he  could  not  safely  be  intrusted  with  that  command. 
He  was  soon  intrusted  with  it,  however,  and  how  he  deported 

12* 


274:  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

himself  in  his  new  sphere  is  well  known.  The  critics  began 
to  discover  that  this  eccentric,  erratic  Colonel  Jackson  had 
been  misunderstood,  under-estimated,  and  when  the  appoint 
ment  of  Lieutenant-general  was  sent  to  him,  they  found 
it  perfectly  natural  and  proper. 

In  every  sphere  of  action,  and  under  ever-increasing  com 
mand  and  responsibility,  General  Jackson  had  proved  him- 
self  equal,  and  more  than  equal,  to  the  call  upon  his  faculties, 
and  the  fashion  of  talking  about  his  being  "only  a  fighter" 
became,  somehow,  obsolete. 

The  truth  is  that  the  great  soldier  shone  conspicuously 
wherever  he  was  placed.  He  was  a  good  Colonel,  a  better 
Brigadier,  and  as  Major  and  Lieutenant-general,  best  of  all. 

His  entire  campaign  against  Banks  in  the  lower  Valley — 
the  execution  of  the  plans  of  General  Lee  on  the  Chicka- 
hominy  and  Rapidan — and  the  splendid  manoeuvring  of  his 
corps  before  Pope  at  Manassas,  when  he  retired  in  face  of  the 
enormous  columns  of  the  enemy,  chose  his  ground  to  fighi, 
and,  while  waiting  for  General  Long-street,  turned  savagely, 
like  a  lion  at  bay — these  movements  undoubtedly  reveal  mili 
tary  genius^)f  the  first  order,  and  vindicate  the  claim  of  the 
leader  who  executed  them  to  the  title  of  a  great  general. 

In  that  noble  letter  which  he  wrote  to  President  Davis  just 
before  his  death,  Gen.  Sydney  Johnston  declared  that,  after 
all,  he  agreed  with  the  popular  verdict,  that  success  was  the 
test  of  merit.  If  Jackson's  career  be  subjected  to  that  test, 
his  excellence  will  be  established.  No  soldier  of  the  war  was 
more  uniformly  successful  in  his  undertakings.  He  never 
failed  to  achieve  his  object,  from  the  day  when,  with  2,700 
men,  he  held  in  check  11.000  at  Kernstown,  to  the  moment 
when,  moving  by  that  bold  and  stealthy  march  through  the 
Wilderness,  he  struck  the  enemy  with  the  suddenness  of  the 
thunderbolt,  and  determined  the  fate  of  Gen.  Hooker's  ad 
vance.  Such  successes  as  those  which  mark  the  career  of 
Jackson,  are  not  accidental.  They  are  the  tests  of  general- 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  275 

ship,  and  indicate  the  possession  of  faculties  which  God  vouch 
safes  to  few  of  his  creatures.  General  Jackson  was  undoubt 
edly  a  man  of  very  extraordinary  military  genius;  and  in  his 
whole  career,  it  will  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  find  a 
serious  error  of  judgment  or  fault  of  execution.  The  old 
faded  cap  of  the  general  covered  a  brain  which  revolved  deep 
thoughts — the  penetrating  eyes  beneath  could  not  be  deceived. 
The  wiliest  foe  could  not  outwit  the  simple-looking  personage ; 
no  feint  or  trick  mislead  the  clear  judgment  presiding  serenely 
over  the  fiery  soul.  Indeed,  the  enemy  who  tried  to  under 
mine  him,  secretly,  found  a  mine  beneath  him — which,  almost 
before  he  knew  of  its  existence,  was  sprung  upon  him.  It  is 
not  too  much  to  say  that  the  victor  of  Port  Republic  was 
more  than  a  match  for  all  his  foes  combined,  in  strategy,  and 
their  best  friends  might  have  advised  them  to  depend  upon 
numbers  and  hard  fighting,  rather  than  military  manoeuvre,  if 
they  wished  to  snatch  laurels  from  Jackson. 

Unfortunately,  however,  that  very  "last  resort"  of  hard 
fighting  was  the  strong  point  of  this  general.  If  Jackson 
was  famous  for  any  thing  at  all,  it  was  for  an  inborn  and  inerad 
icable  tendency  to  stubborn,  unyielding  combat,  against  any 
odds.  Of  this  there  is  no  question.  He  had  little  of  the 
fiery  dash  of  Rupert,  at  the  head  of  his  cavaliers — but  the 
very  bull-dog  pertinacity  and  iron  nerve  of  Cromwell — sworn 
to  conquer  or  die.  He  was  in  favor  of  advancing  upon  Mc- 
01  el  Ian  at  Harrison's  Landing ;  on  Bnrnside  at  Fredericks- 
burg — he  was  always  in  favor  of  advancing.  To  advance  and 
fight  appears  to  have  been  the  military  philosophy  of  General 
Jackson — and  to  go  on  fighting  until  the  enemy  was  whipped. 

The  extraordinary  success  of  his  career  can  only  be  ex 
plained  upon  one  hypothesis.  He  was  a  born  soldier.  This 
he  showed  in  all  that  he  undertook ;  more  especially  in  that 
brief  but  decisive  campaign  of  the  Valley,  to  which  we 
have  so  frequently  referred.  The  details  of  his  movements 
at  this  time  cannot  be  too  attentively  studied — and  it  is 


276  LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

difficult  to  conceive  of  a  campaign  more  consummately  skilful 
in  design  and  execution.  Hopelessly  outnumbered  by  the  Fed 
eral  forces,  beset  by  a  swarm  of  foes  in  front,  and  hemmed 
in  by  a  vast  cordon  on  every  side,  he  defeated  or  eluded  them 
with  matchless  skill,  and  bore  off  all  the  most  substantial  fruits 
of  victory.  Nothing  but  the  possession  of  incomparable  mili 
tary  genius  could  have  made  this  campaign  the  magnificent 
success  which  it  proved ;  it  is  doubtful  if  any  other  general 
on  the  continent  could  have  conducted  it,  through  obstacles 
apparently  so  overwhelming,  to  an  issue  so  triumphant.  The 
more  deeply  it  is  studied  by  the  military  student,  the  more 
wonderful  will  that  famous  series  of  manoeuvres  appear.  It 
will  be  understood  how  critical  the  situation  was — how  nice 
were  the  calculations  of  time,  of  material,  of  chances.  One 
broken  link  would  have  burst  the  great  chain — one  wheel  neg 
lected  would  have  thrown  into  disorder  the  complicated  ma 
chinery  of  Jackson's  movements.  After  Kernstown,  he  fell 
back  step  by  step — but  it  was  to  fight  the  battle  of  McDowell. 
After  Winchester,  he  pressed  on  to  the  Potomac,  but  victory 
had  not  lulled  him  into  fatal  security ;  and  when  Fremont 
and  McDowell  clashed  together  near  Strasburg  to  cut  him  off, 
they  struck  only  his  rear-guard — his  main  force  having  marched 
away  with  all  the  prisoners  and  captured  stores  to  the  upper 
Valley.  At  Port  Republic,  he  terminated  this  immortal  cam 
paign  by  whipping  his  enemy  in  detail — and  then  descended 
to  his  great  work  in  the  lowlands  at  Cold  Harbor,  Cedar  Run, 
and  the  second  Manassas. 

This  campaign  of  the  Valley,  and  the  march  to  Manassas, 
will  remain  the  crowning  glories  of  Jackson's  career;  and 
they  display  a  genius  for  war  which  will  rank  him  with  the 
greatest  generals  of  history.  He  was  possessed  by  nature  of 
the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  the  Leader  of  men — of 
Alexander,  of  Caesar,  of  Napoleon.  To  make  war  against  wily 
and  powerful  enemies,  was  the  occupation  for  which,  by  his 
distinctive  genius,  he  was  fitted.  He  was  an  intense  man — 


LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  277 

concentrating  all  his  faculties  upon  the  object  in  view,  and 
striking  heavy  blows  when  once  the  combat  began.  To  go  on 
striking  with  all  his  force — to  advance,  to  be  the  aggressor,  to 
fight  to  the  death,  was,  as  we  have  said,  his  philosophy  of 
war.  His  military  calculations  omitted  no  element  of  strategy, 
but  to  the  wise  counsel  was  added  indomitable  combativeness. 
His  designs  had  a  grand  simplicity  about  them — "Advance 
and  fight,"  seemed  to  be  his  motto.  Personally,  he  loved  ex 
citement — even  thirsted  at  times  for  battle ;  and  he  once  told 
a  distinguished  officer  of  the  cavalry,  that  he  longed  to  accom 
pany  him  upon  one  of  his  raids,  and  share  the  perils  and  ex 
citements  of  the  occasion. 

We  have  said  that  General  Jackson  was  an  intense  man. 
We  mean  that  what  he  did,  he  did  with  all  his  might.  When 
he  put  his  hand  to  the  plough  he  never  looked  back,  but  bent 
all  his  energies  to  the  work  before  him.  His  will  was  enor 
mous,  his  strength  of  purpose  invincible.  He  never  paused, 
or  could  tolerate  the  thought  of  pausing,  until  all  opposition 
was  shattered,  and  the  enemy  overwhelmed  and  driven  from 
the  field.  At  Winchester,  his  cry  to  the  weary  troops  was, 
*'  Press  right  on  to  the  Potomac !"  At  Fredericksburg,  after 
the  prostrating  conflict  of  that  hard-fought  day,  Jackson 
thought  of  one  thing  only — an  advance  before  night,  and  a 
more  desperate  attack  than  before.  At  Chancellorsville,  the 
very  last  words  which  he  uttered  before  he  fell,  were,  "Tell 
A.  P.  Hill  to  press  right  on !" 

The  unconquerable  will  of  the  man  seemed  to  defy  all  op 
posing  forces,  and  to  wring  victory  from  the  very  jaws  of 
Fate.  Under  the  calm  exterior,  the  sweet  womanly  smile, 
was  a  tenacity  of  purpose  so  unbending — a  resolution  so  stern 
and  obdurate,  a  will  so  gigantic — that  to  the  present  writer, 
as  to  others  who  saw  this  great  man  at  critical  moments, 
he  seemed  to  possess  the  power  of  overwhelming  all  human 
opposition,  and  compelling  Destiny  to  crouch  before  him,  and 
obey  him. 


278  LIFE   OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

He  was  a  man  of  earnestness  and  singleness  of  purpose. 
He  did  not  fritter  away  his  strength  upon  small  objects,  or 
unimportant  things.  He  had  the  faculty  which  has  charac 
terized  the  great  judicial  minds  of  the  statesmen  and  lawyers 
of  England, — the  power  of  discerning  the  main  obstacle  in  his 
path,  and  of  so  disposing  his  forces  as  to  assail  it  to  the  best 
advantage.  The  fortress  once  overcome,  the  surrounding 
country  he  knew  must  fall  into  his  hands ;  and  he  did  not 
trouble  himself  in  reducing  the  villages. 

He  knew  what  was  necessary  to  insure  victory — was  fer 
tile  in  resource — of  unfailing  prudence  in  guarding  against 
disaster,  never  leaving  unstrengthened  that  fatal  weak  point 
in  the  dam,  through  which  the  flood  will  slowly  but  surely 
work  its  way,  sweeping  every  thing  eventually  before  it.  With 
him  there  were  no  trifles — nothing  was  too  small  or  unimpor 
tant  to  guard  against.  Like  the  painter,  who,  when  criticised 
for  his  multitudinous  touches,  replied,  "These  may  seem 
trifles,  but  they  secure  perfection,  and  perfection  is  no  trifle" — 
he  never  rested  until  he  had  seen  in  person  that  all  things 
were  attended  to,  down  to  the  minutest  details ;  rightly  think 
ing  that  the  grand  result  was  worth  any  amount  of  trouble. 
He  never  failed  to  keep  his  line  of  retreat  open,  and  left 
nothing  to  good  fortune.  All  was  calculation  of  forces,  time, 
and  material. 

His  dispositions  for  attack  were  always  perfect,  thorough, 
and  the  very  best  that  the  time  and  place  would  admit  of. 
He  uniformly  proceeded  on  the  hypothesis  that  the  assailing 
force  possessed  from  that  circumstance  an  enormous  advan 
tage  ;  and,  once  in  motion,  he  advanced  with  the  utmost  ra 
pidity,  and  struck  with  all  his  strength.  If  one  blow  failed, 
another  was  delivered ;  if  that  was  unsuccessful,  every  avail 
able  force  which  he  could  control  was  concentrated  for  another 
and  another.  It  was  only  when  the  overpowering  numbers  of 
the  enemy  made  the  encounter  hopeless,  that  he  retired  with 
dogged,  sullen  deliberation — as  dangerous  in  retreating  as 
when  advancing. 


LIFE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  279 

His  tenacity  of  purpose  was  invincible.  Never  has  a  soul 
of  more  stubborn  nerve  been  born  into  the  world.  He  re 
fused  to  recognize  the  possibility  of  defeat,  and  never  knew 
when  he  was  whipped.  At  Kernstown  he  was  firmly  con 
vinced  that  if  daylight  had  continued,  his  little  handful  of 
weary  troops,  worn  down  by  exhausting  marches,  and  shat 
tered  by  a  day  of  terrible  conflict,  would  have  put  to  rout  the 
fourfold  forces  of  Federals  in  front  of  them.  At  Manassas,  he 
believed  that  with  10,000  men  he  could  have  captured  Wash 
ington.  In  Charles  City  he  was  confident  that  if  McClellan 
was  attacked  in  his  defences  near  Harrison's  Landing,  his 
army  would  be  forced  to  surrender.  At  Fredericksburg  he 
projected  and  nearly  executed  an  audacious  assault,  with  the 
bayonet,  upon  Burnside's  entire  force  in  front  of  our  position 
at  nightfall.  Who  shall  say  that  on  any  of  these  occasions 
Jackson  miscalculated  his  strength,  or  over-estimated  his  abili 
ty  ?  History  has  recorded  the  battles  which  he  won.  Who 
shall  say  that  those  which  he  declared  his  ability  to  win  would 
have  resulted  in  defeat  ? 

He  struck  boldly,  but  formed  his  plans  in  secret.  Mystery 
is  the  favorite  resort  of  charlatans ;  but  with  Jackson  it  was 
the  herald  of  victory.  He  talked  little,  and  measured  his 
words  when  speaking  of  military  affairs.  No  one  knew 
whither  he  was  going ;  what  he  designed.  He  proceeded 
upon  the  sound  and  excellent  maxim  that  a  secret  is  always 
guarded  from  indiscretion  when  confined  to  a  single  person — 
and  the  person  whom  he  selected  as  the  sole  repository  of  his 
plans  was  himself.  He  even  put  himself  to  great  trouble  to 
mask  his  designs — camping  often  when  he  arrived  at  cross 
roads,  and  leaving  thus  that  body  of  quidnuncs,  which  are 
found  in  every  army,  profoundly  puzzled  as  to  what  direction 
he  would  take  with  his  command  upon  the  morrow.  On  one 
occasion  he  reprimanded  an  officer  on  the  march  for  engaging 
dinner  for  headquarters  at  a  house  a  few  miles  in  advance, 
upon  the  highway  which  the  troops  were  pursuing ;  it  at- 


280  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

forded  information  of  his  line  of  march  to  that  extent,  and 
so  was  reprehensible.  A  favorite  device  with  him  was  to  in 
stitute  inquiries  in  the  presence  of  the  crowd  around  him  as 
to  roads  and  watercourses  in  a  direction  which  he  did  not 
intend  to  take ;  even  to  order  maps  to  be  prepared,  and  roads 
laid  down,  as  though  for  instant  use.  Having  thus  set  every 
gossip  talking  and  predicting  his  intentions,  he  would  calmly 
march  directly  in  the  opposite  direction. 

"  Mystery,  mystery,  is  the  secret  of  success !" 
He  was  just  to  his  officers  and  men,  taking  up  prejudices 
rarely  for  or  against  persons,  and  measuring  out  equal  justice 
to  all.  No  man  could  say  that  he  had  treated  him  with 
conscious  unfairness ;  and  if  a  calm  examination  of  those 
cases  wherein  he  is  said  to  have  acted  from  personal  dislike, 
be  instituted,  it  will  be  found  that  he  proceeded  upon 
grounds  which  appeared  to  him  incontrovertible,  and  not 
from  haste  and  ill-temper.  Ill-tempered,  in  the  proper  mean 
ing  of  the  phrase,  he  never  was.  He  was  stern,  abrupt, 
harsh  at  times,  but  the  occasion  always  demanded  plain 
speech — and  his  object  of  reprimand,  correction,  or  repulse 
of  ill-advised  interference  once  attained,  the  offence  was  en 
tirely  forgotten,  and  the  offender  restored  completely  to  his 
former  position. 

He  had  the  faculty  of  calculating  forces,  rarely  developed. 
He  always  knew  his  strength  and  his  weakness.  When  he 
attacked,  it  was  because  he  knew  that  victory  was,  humanly 
speaking,  in  his  grasp.  He  based  his  calculations  not  upon 
numbers  only,  but  upon  position,  material,  the  morale  of  his 
troops,  and  the  effect  of  the  situation  upon  the  morale  of  the 
enemy.  He  estimated  to  their  full  extent  the  decisive  char 
acter  of  a  sudden,  bold,  and  obstinate  attack.  He  trusted 
most  to  the  bayonet,  but  had  a  marked  fondness  for  artillery. 
He  did  not  overestimate  its  value  in  inflicting  injury  upon  the 
enemy,  but  he  trusted  greatly  to  its  influence  upon  the  mo 
rale  of  his  opponents.  To  "demoralize"  the  enemy  was  a 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  281 

large  p&rt  of  his  military  philosophy,  and  he  rightly  thought 
that  a  fo«  disheartened  is  a  foe  half  beaten. 

In  sumning  up,  briefly  and  generally,  the  peculiarities  of 
Jackson's  military  genius,  it  may  be  said,  without  unmeaning 
panegyric,  or  the  least  disposition  to  over-estimate  his  facul 
ties  as  a  leader,  that  he  was  profound  and  comprehensive  in 
his  plans — as  rapid  and  mortal  as  a  thunderbolt  in  execution ; 
that  he  possessed  a  courage  in  the  face  of  danger  which  no 
peril  could  afbct,  no  possible  reverse,  however  sudden,  unex 
pected,  and  disheartening,  deprive  him  of;  that  he  was  cau 
tious,  prudent,  judicious  in  all  his  dispositions;  lastly,  that 
he  possessed  the  native  faculty  of  penetrating  the  intentions 
of  the  enemy,  01  guarding  himself  wholly  from  surprise,  of 
delivering  his  blovs  upon  the  weakest  point,  and  of  making 
war  on  all  occasions  and  against  the  most  dangerous  oppo 
nents,  with  the  mastery,  precision,  and  success  of  the  greatest 
leaders  which  the  world  has  yet  produced.  This  illustrious 
soldier  is  just  dead,  and  little  of  sound  criticism  has  been 
published  in  relation  to  him — few  estimates  of  his  genius 
have  been  made.  The  present  writer,  though  an  humble  and 
obscure  soldier  of  the  Southern  army,  had  the  inestimable 
privilege  of  knowing  the  great  man,  and  seeing  him  in  bat 
tle  ;  and  the  profound  conviction  of  his  mind  is  expressed  in 
the  statement  that  Gen.  Jackson  was  one  of  the  three  or  four 
great  masters  of  the  art  o^"  war  which  the  world  has  known. 
The  century,  the  material,  the  field  of  operations  were  all  dif 
ferent,  but  this  was  Alexander,  the  conqueror  of  the  East ; 
Caesar,  the  greatest  leader  of  all  ages ;  Napoleon,  the  supreme 
master  of  the  art  of  fighting  armies — contending  with  a  little 
army,  and  against  mighty  oi sad  vantages,  for  the  liberty  of 
his  country.  It  was  the  New  World  and  the  Nineteenth 
Century  which  saw  this  struggle,  and  the  force  with  which 
the  great  Virginian  operated  was  small;  but  the  mastery 
of  his  art  was  just  the  same,  the  faculty  of  the  brain  as  per 
fect  in  proportion  and  as  great  as  in  his  predecessors — the  re- 


282  LIFE    OF    STONEWALL    JACKSON. 

suit  the  same.  Jackson  overcame  his  enemies  as  Caesar  and 
Napoleon  did,  by  inexhaustible  resources  both  of  brain  and 
nerve :  by  that  superiority  which  God  had  given  h:m  for  His 
own  wise  purposes ;  and  if  he  was  not  spared  to  exhibit  greater 
faculties  upon  a  larger  arena,  it  was  because  the  Almighty,  in 
His  wisdom,  thought  best  to  remove  him,  leavirg  the  great 
struggle  in  the  hands  of  his  associates. 

To-day,  when  the  smoke  has  scarcely  lifted  from  the  field, 
and  forms  are  seen  but  dimly,  these  words  may  appear  ab 
surd,  and  dictated  by  a  weak  spirit  of  eulogy  and  hero-wor 
ship  ;  but  the  time  will  come  when  the  immense  military 
genius  of  the  Conqueror  of  the  Valley  will  be  accurately  esti 
mated,  and  his  statue  placed  beside  those  of  the  greatest 
captains  of  history. 

Personally,  General  Jackson  was  awkward,  and,  in  his 
movements,  constrained  and  ungraceful.  He  was  tall,  raw- 
boned,  and  had  a  peculiar  stride  in  waking?  He  was  absent- 
minded  :  would  often  pause  suddenly  and  fix  his  eyes  upon 
the  ground;  and  in  riding  had  a  hsbit  of  slapping  his  side 
and  raising  his  arm  aloft — whether  from  some  physical  ail 
ment  which  he  thus  relieved,  or  in  player,  is  not  known.  His 
address  wanted  ease ;  his  manner  was  shy  and  constrained, 
like  that  of  a  student  who  has  so  long  secluded  himself  in 
libraries  that  the  faces  of  men  aanoy  and  discompose  him. 
He  talked  little  with  strangers,  End  was  brief  of  speech,  but 
never  failed  to  return  the  saluce  of  the  humblest  person, 
treating  all  men  with  the  most  kindly  courtesy.  His  eyes 
were  dark,  penetrating,  and  had  a  peculiar  brightness  when 
he  was  aroused,  which  the  most  casual  observer  noticed.  The 
remainder  of  the  countenance  was  not  remarkable,  but  his 
smile  was  very  sweet — a  lady  who  had  conversed  with  him, 
applied  to  it  the  word  "  angelic."  It  was,  indeed,  full  of  attrac 
tion,  and  indicated  the  wealth  of  kindness  which  lay  under  the 
calm,  somewhat  cold  exterior. 

The  result  of  the  great  soldier's  immense  popularity  lay  in 


LIFE    OF    STONEWALL   JACKSON.  283 

the  universal  conviction  of  his  simplicity  and  goodness.  Sin 
cerity,  purity,  truthfulness  in  thought  and  word  and  deed,  lit 
up  the  path  upon  which  he  walked,  and  made  him  beautiful 
in  the  eyes  of  the  good  men  and  women  of  the  land.  The 
people,  generally,  admired  him  for  his  military  successes  ;  but 
the  character  of  the  individual  was  the  passport  to  that  truly 
extraordinary  love  and  admiration  which  saluted  him  where- 
ever  he  moved.  His  enemies  even  shared  this  sentiment ;  and 
gentlemen  who  remained  in  Winchester  during  the  Federal 
occupation  of  that  town,  assure  us  that  the  enemy  uniformly 
spoke  of  him  with  the  utmost  admiration,  and  declared  that 
nothing  could  induce  them  to  kill  a  man  like  Stonewall  Jack 
son.  Some  singular  details  are  given  of  the  feeling  of  the 
Federals  toward  him  in  that  region.  We  are  told  that  they 
regarded  it  as  Jackson's  property,  his  private  domain ;  and 
believed  that  he  would  return  at  any  moment  to  "his  ovvu 
again."  He  had  told  the  people,  in  his  cool,  brief  speech, 
"  that  he  would  come  again,  and  as  certainly  as  now  " — and 
when  the  enemy  were  informed  of  this,  they  gave  implicit 
credence  to  the  promise,  and  were  seen  on  more  than  one  oc 
casion  to  start  suddenly  at  the  very  report  that  "  Jackson  was 
coming." 

But  all  these  anecdotes  must  be  reserved  for  another  occa 
sion.  We  hasten  to  the  end  of  our  sketch. 

Few  human  beings  have  been  purer,  or  more  guileless.  He 
had  the  simplicity  of  a  child ;  and  the  renown,  which  ever 
increased  as  his  great  services  were  more  fully  recognized, 
seemed  only  to  make  him  more  modest  and  retiring.  All  the 
ends  he  aimed  at  were  his  country's ;  and  that  profound  affec 
tion  and  respect  which  all  the  world  had  for  him  will  last  al 
ways,  for  it  was  based  upon  the  eternal  foundations  of  truth 
and  goodness. 

To  say  that  he  was  a  pure  and  humble  Christian  is  unne 
cessary.  Piety  was  the  absorbing  and  controlling  sentiment 
of  his  being.  He  seemed  to  look  to  God  in  all  that  he  did, 


284:  LIFE    OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

and  thought,  and  uttered.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Presby 
terian  Church,  but  no  sectarian.  So  great  a  spirit  could  not  be 
tinged  with  bigotry ;  and  a  gentleman  of  high  character,  long 
serving  on  his  staff,  assured  the  present, writer  that  he  was 
wholly  free  from  any  trace  of  illiberality  or  dogmatism  in  his 
religious  creed.  His  "  fatalism  "  has  been  dwelt  upon  persist 
ently  ;  his  cool,  brave  bearing  in  the  heat  of  battle,  set  down 
as  the  result  of  some  strange  Oriental  fatalistic  sentiment, 
which  made  him  insensible  to  fear. 

Such  was  the  idle  talk  of  those  who  did  not  know  the  great 
soldier.  The  truth  may  be  stated  in  very  few  words :  Jack 
son  believed  in  the  doctrine  of  predestination,  as  all  rational 
minds  believe  in  it.  Looking  fervently  to  an  overruling 
Providence,  and  trusting  to  the  goodness  of  an  omnipotent 
Creator,  he  gave  himself  no  concern,  except  as  to  the  perform 
ance  of  his  duty.  The  issues  of  life  and  death,  he  felt,  were 
in  a  mightier  hand  than  man's ;  and  to  that  omnipotent 
Power — to  the  "  King  eternal,  unchangeable,  invisible" — he 
was  content  to  leave  the  decision  whether  he  was  to  live  or 
die.  The  shell  that  burst  in  iron  spray  around  him  did  not 
move  the  stern,  calm  nerve;  the  storm  of  bullets  which  he 
passed  so  often  through  was  powerless  to  shake  the  heroic 
courage  of  the  soldier  of  God.  Whatever  was,  was  best  with 
him  ;  and  when  they  told  him  he  was  going  to  die,  his  words, 
"Very  good,  very  good;  it  is  all  right!"  expressed  the  deep 
and  changeless  faith  of  one  who  left  all  issues  to  the  King 
of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  with  calm  and  abiding  trust. 

Prayer  was  the  breath  in  his  nostrils,  and  he  never  failed 
in  going  into  battle  to  raise  his  heart  to  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 
beseeching  him  on  bended  knee  to  prosper  the  cause  of  truth 
and  right.  This  phase  of  the  great  leader's  character  need 
be  only  touched  upon  here.  The  world  has  been  glad  to 
hear  that  a  competent  writer,  possessed  of  ample  materials 
will  ere  long  present  a  full  and  complete  view  of  the  religious 
character  of  General  Jackson.  Let  us  here  say,  in  concluding 


LITE   OF   STONEWALL   JACKSON.  285 

our  sketch,  that  profound  submission  of  his  whole  heart  to 
the  will  of  God,  was  Jackson's  never-failing  sentiment  in  all 
the  scenes  of  his  arduous  and  exciting  career — that  the  great 
lieutenant-general  was  as  humble,  simple,  and  confiding  as  a 
child  who  reaches  out  weak  hands  for  help  toward  its  father ; 
and  that  the  mighty  intellect,  the  stern,  unshrinking  will 
bent  with  humility  before  that  God  in  whom  he  trusted  with 
supreme  faith  in  every  hour  of  trial. 

For  such  a  man  to  die  was  gain.  Through  the  Valley  of 
Shadows  his  path  led  surely  to  that  realm  where  neither 
wars  nor  rumors  of  wars — nor  wounds,  or  suffering,  or  anxi 
ety — can  ever  come.  In  the  darkness  of  the  trying  hour  the 
rod  and  the  staff  of  the  Almighty  Father  comforted  him. 
He  had  no  regrets,  no  longing  for  life.  Earth  possessed  for 
this  sublime  and  noble  soul  no  attractions  which  could  blind 
him  to  the  greater  joys  which  awaited  him.  He  had  fought 
the  good  fight,  had  finished  his  course,  and  kept  the  faith. 
God  called  him  in  the  hour  of  victory ;  and  his  pure  and 
childlike  spirit  passed  away  in  the  tranquil  hours  of  that 
Sabbath  season  which  he  had  so  long  loved. 

The  poet  paints  the  happiness  of  his  hero  dying  "in  the 
arms  of  victory ;"  but  the  lot  of  Jackson,  the  patriot,  the 
hero,  the  humble  Christian,  was  far  better.  He  fell  asleep 
with  the  "  everlasting  arms  beneath  him,"  in  the  assurance  of 

blessed  immortality. 


APPENDIX. 


I. 


OPERATIONS  OF  GENERAL  JACKSON'S  COMMAND  FROM 
SEPTEMBER  5xn  TO  SEPTEMBER  27-TH,  1862.— OFFICIAL 
REPORT. 


HEADQUARTERS  2o  CORPS  A.  N.  V., ) 
April  23d,  1863.      \ 

General, — I  have  the  honor  to  submit  a  report  of  the  op 
erations  of  my  command  from  the  5th  to  the  2Yth  of  Septem 
ber,  1862,  embracing  the  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry,  the 
engagement  at  Shepherdstown,  and  so  much  of  the  battle  of 
Sharpsburg  as  was  fought  by  my  command. 

My  command  comprised  A.  P.  Hill's  Division,  consisting 
of  the  Brigades  of  Branch,  Gregg,  Field,  (Colonel  Brocken- 
brough  commanding,)  Fender,  Archer,  and  Colonel  Thomas, 
with  the  Batteries  of  the  Division,  under  Lieutenant-colonel 
R.  L.  Walker;  Ewell's  Division,  under  Brigadier-general 
Lawton,  consisting  of  the  Brigades  of  Early,  Hays,  (Colonel 
Strong,)  Trimble,  (Colonel  Walker,)  and  Lawton,  (Colonel 
Douglas,)  with  the  Artillery  under  Major  Courtney;  and 
Jackson's  Division,  under  Brigadier-general  Starke,  consist 
ing  of  the  Brigades  of  Winder,  (Colonel  Grigsby,)  Jones, 
(Colonel  B.  T.  Johnson,)  Taliaferro,  (Colonel  Warren,)  and 
Starke,  (Colonel  Stafford,)  with  the  Artillery  under  Major 
Shumaker,  Chief  of  Artillery. 

On  the  5th  of  September  my  command  crossed  the  Poto 
mac  at  White's  Ford,  and  bivouacked  that  night  near  the 
three  springs  in  the  State  of  Maryland.  Not  having  any 
cavalry  with  me  except  the  Black  Horse,  under  Captain  Ran- 


290  APPENDIX. 

dolph,  I  directed  him,  after  crossing  the  Potomac,  to  take  a 
part  of  his  company  and  scout  to  the  right,  in  order  to  pre 
vent  a  surprise  of  the  column  from  that  direction.  For  the 
thorough  and  efficient  manner  in  which  this  duty  was  per 
formed,  and  for  the  valuable  service  rendered  generally  whilst 
attached  to  my  headquarters,  I  desire  to  make  special  men 
tion  of  this  company  and  of  its  officers,  Captain  Randolph, 
and  Lieutenants  Paine,  Tyle,  and  Smith,  who  frequently 
transmitted  orders  in  the  absence  of  staff-officers. 

The  next  day  we  arrived  in  the  vicinity  of  Frederick  City. 
Jackson's  division  encamped  near  its  suburbs,  except  the 
brigade  of  General  Jones,  (Colonel  Bradley  T.  Johnson  com 
manding,)  which  was  posted  in  the  city  as  a  Provost  Guard. 
Ewell's  and  Hill's  divisions  occupied  positions  near  the  rail 
road  bridge,  on  the  Monocacy,  guarding  the  approaches  from 
Washington  City.  In  obedience  to  instructions  from  the 
commanding  general,  and  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the 
Federal  forces  and  stores  then  at  Martinsburg  and  Harper's 
Ferry,  my  command  left  the  vicinity  of  Frederick  City  on 
the  10th,  and  passing  rapidly  through  Middletown,  Boonsbo- 
rongh,  and  Williamsport,  recrossed  the  Potomac  into  Vir 
ginia  at  Light's  Ford,  on  the  llth.  General  Hill  moved  with 
his  division  on  the  turnpike  direct  from  Williamsport  to  Mar 
tinsburg.  The  divisions  of  Jackson  and  Evvell  proceeded 
toward  the  North  Mountain  depot,  on  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroad,  about  seven  miles  northwest  of  Martinsburg. 
They  bivouacked  that  night  in  the  vicinity  of  the  depot.  In 
order  to  prevent  the  Federal  forces  then  at  Martinsburg  from 
escaping  westward  unobserved,  Major  Myers,  commanding  the 
cavalry,  sent  part  of  his  troops  as  far  south  as  the  Berkeley 
and  Hampshire  turnpikes.  Brigadier-general  White,  who 
was  in  command  of  the  Federal  forces  at  Martinsburg,  be 
coming  advised  of  our  approach,  evacuated  the  place  on  the 
night  of  the  llth,  and  retreated  to  Harper's  Ferry.  On  the 
morning  of  the  12th  our  cavalry  entered  the  town,  as  in  the 


APPENDIX.  291 


292  APPENDIX. 

yond  the  fire  of  their  artillery,  and  guarding  certain  avenues 
of  escape  to  the  enemy.  And  from  the  reports  received  from 
them  by  signals,  in  consequence  of  the  distance  and  range  of 
their  guns,  not  much  could  be  expected  from  their  artillery, 
so  long  as  the  enemy  retained  his  advanced  position  on  Boli 
var  Heights. 

In  the  afternoon  (14th),  General  Hill  was  ordered  to  move 
along  the  left  bank  of  the  Shenandoah,  turn  the  enemy's 
left,  and  enter  Harper's  Ferry.  General  Lawton,  command 
ing  Swell's  division,  was  directed  to  move  along  the  turn 
pike  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  General  Hill,  and  of 
otherwise  operating  against  the  enemy  to  his  left. 

General  J.  R.  Jones,  commanding  Jackson's  division,  was 
directed,  with  one  of  his  brigades,  and  a  battery  of  artillery, 
to  make  a  demonstration  against  the  enemy's  right,  whilst  the 
remaining  part  of  his  command,  as  a  reserve,  moved  along  the 
turnpike.  Major  Massie,  commanding  *the  cavalry,  was  di 
rected  to  keep  upon  our  left  flank  for  the  purpose  of  prevent 
ing  the  enemy  from  escaping.  Brigadier-general  Walker 
guarded  against  an  escape  across  the  Shenandoah  river.  Fear 
ing  lest  the  enemy  should  attempt  to  escape  across  the  Poto 
mac,  by  means  of  signals  I  called  the  attention  of  Major- 
general  McLaws,  commanding  on  the  Maryland  Heights,  to 
the  propriety  of  guarding  against  such  an  attempt.  The 
demonstration  on  the  left  against  the  enemy's  right  was  made 
by  Winder's  brigade  (Colonel  Grigsby  commanding).  It 
was  ordered  to  secure  a  commanding  hill  to  the  left  of  the 
heights,  near  the  Potomac.  Promptly  dispersing  some  cav 
alry,  this  eminence,  from  which  the  batteries  of  Poague  and 
Carpenter  subsequently  did  such  admirable  execution,  was 
secured  without  difficulty.  In  execution  of  the  orders  given 
Major-general  Hill,  he  moved  obliquely  to  the  right  until  he 
struck  the  Shenandoah  river.  Observing  an  eminence,  crown 
ing  the  extreme  left  of  the  enemy's  line,  occupied  by  infantry, 
but  without  artillery,  and  protected  only  by  an  abatis  of  fallen 


APPENDIX.  293 

timber,  Fender,  Archer,  and  Brockenbrough  were  directed  to 
gain  the  crest  of  that  hill,  while  Branch  and  Gregg  were  di 
rected  to  march  along  the  river,  and  during  the  night  to  take 
advantage  of  the  ravines,  cutting  the  precipitous  banks  of  the 
river,  and  establish  themselves  on  the  plain  to  the  left  and 
rear  of  the  enemy's  works.  Thomas  followed  as  a  reserve. 
The  execution  of  the  first  movement  was  intrusted  to  Briga 
dier-general  Fender,  who  accomplished  it  with  slight  resist 
ance;  and,  during  the  night,  Lieutenant-colonel  Walker,  Chief 
of  Artillery  of  Hill's  division,  brought  up  the  batteries  of  Cap 
tains  Fegram,  Mclntosh,  Davidson,  Braxton,  and  Crenshaw, 
and  established  them  upon  the  position  thus  gained.  Branch 
and  Gregg  also  gained  the  positions  indicated  for  them,  and 
daybreak  found  them  in  rear  of  the  enemy's  line  of  defence. 

As  directed,  Brigadier-general  Lawtou,  commanding  Ewell's 
division,  moved  on  the  turnpike  iii  three  columns — one  on  the 
road,  and  another  on  each  side  of  it — until  he  reached  Halls- 
town,  when  he  formed  line  of  battle,  and  advanced  to  the 
woods  on  School-house  Hill.  The  division  laid  on  their  arms 
during  the  night,  Lawton  and  Trimble  being  in  line  on  the 
right  of  the  road,  and  Hays  on  his  left,  with  Early  immediate 
ly  in  his  rear.  During  the  night,  Colonel  Crutchfield,  my 
Chief  of  Artillery,  crossed  ten  guns  of  Ewell's  division  over 
the  Shenandoah,  and  established  them  on  its  right  bank  so  as 
to  enfilade  the  enemy's  position  on  Bolivar  Heights,  and  take 
his  nearest  and  most  formidable  fortifications  in  reverse.  The 
other  batteries  of  Ewell's  division  were  placed  in  position  on 
School-house  Hill,  on  each  side  of  the  road. 

At  dawn,  September  15th,  Gen.  Lawton  advanced  his  division 
to  the  front  of  the  woods,  Lawton's  brigade  (Colonel  Douglas 
commanding)  moved  by  flank  to  the  bottom  between  School- 
house  Hill  and  Bolivar  Heights,  to  support  the  advance  of 
Major-general  Hill. 

Lieutenant-colonel  Walker  opened  a  rapid  enfilade  fire 
trom  all  his  batteries  at  about  one  thousand  yards'  range.  The 


294:  APPENDIX. 

/ 

batteries  on  School-house  Hill  attacked  the  enemy's  line  in 
front.  In  a  short  time  the  guns  of  Captains  Brown,  Garber, 
Latiraer,  and  Dement,  under  the  direction  of  Colonel  Crutch- 
field,  opened  from  the  rear.  The  batteries  of  Poague  and  Car 
penter  opened  fire  upon  the  enemy's  right.  The  artillery 
upon  the  Loudoun  Heights  of  Brigadier-general  Walker' 
command,  under  Captain  French,  which  had  silenced  the 
enemy's  artillery  near  the  superintendent's  house,  on  the  pre 
ceding  afternoon,  again  opened  upon  Harper's  Ferry,  and  also 
some  guns  of  Major-general  McLaws,  from  the  Maryland 
Heights.  In  an  hour  the  enemy's  fire  seemed  to  be  silenced, 
and  the  batteries  of  General  Hill  were  ordered  to  cease  their 
fire,  which  was  the  signal  for  storming  the  works.  General 
Fender  had  commenced  his  advance,  when,  the  enemy  again 
opening,  Pegram  and  Crenshaw  moved  forward  their  batteries 
and  poured  a  rapid  fire  into  the  enemy.  The  white  flag  was 
now  displayed,  and  shortly  afterwards,  Brigadier-general 
White  (the  commanding  officer,  Colonel  D.  S.  Miles  having 
been  mortally  wounded),  with  a  garrison  of  about  11,000 
men,  surrendered  as  prisoners  of  war. 

Under  this  capitulation  we  took  possession  of  73  pieces  of 
artillery,  some  13,000  small-arms,  and  other  stores.  Liberal 
terms  were  granted  General  White  and  the  officers  under  his 
command  in  the  surrender,  which,  I  regret  to  say,  do  not 
seem,  from  subsequent  events,  to  have  been  properly  appre 
ciated  by  their  government. 

Leaving  General  Hill  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  Feder 
al  troops  and  take  the  requisite  steps  for  securing  the  cap 
tured  stores,  I  moved,  in  obedience  to  orders  from  the  com 
manding  general,  to  rejoin  him  in  Maryland  with  the  remain 
ing  divisions  of  my  command.  By  a  severe  night's  march,  we 
reached  the  vicinity  of  Sharpsburg  on  the  morning  of  the 
16th. 

By  direction  of  the  commanding  general  I  advanced  on 
the  enemy,  leaving  Sharpsburg  to  the  right,  and  took  position 


APPENDIX.  295 

to  the  left  of  Gen.  Longstreet,  near  a  Dunkard  church,  Swell's 
division,  (Gen.  Lavvton  commanding,)  forming  the  right, 
and  Jackson's  division,  (Gen.  J.  R.  Jones,  commaudiug,) 
forming  the  left  of  my  command.  Major-general  Stuart,  with 
the  cavalry,  was  on  my  left. 

Jackson's  division,  (Gen.  Jones  commanding,)  was  formed 
partly  in  an  open  field  and  partly  in  the  woods,  with  its  right 
resting  upon  the  Sharpsburg  and  Hagerstown  turnpike,  Wind 
ers  and  Jones's  brigades  being  in  front,  and  Taliaferro's  and 
Starke's  brigades  a  short  distance  in  their  rear,  and  Poague's 
battery  on  a  knoll  in  front. 

Ewell's  division  followed  that  of  Jackson  to  the  wood  on 
the  left  of  the  road  near  the  church.  Early's  brigade  was 
then  formed  on  the  left  of  the  line  of  Jackson's  division  to 
guard  its  flank,  and  Hays's  brigade  was  formed  in  its  rear; 
Lawton's  and  Trimble's  Brigades  remaining  during  the  even 
ing  with  arms  stacked  near  the  church. 

A  battery  of  the  enemy,  some  five  hundred  yards  to  the 
front  of  Jackson's  division,  opening  fire  upon  a  battery  to 
the  right,  was  silenced  in  twenty  minutes  by  a  rapid  and  well- 
directed  fire  from  Poague's  battery ;  other  batteries  of  the 
enemy  opened  soon  after  upon  our  lines  and  the  firing  con 
tinued  until  after  dark. 

About  10  p.  M.,  Lawton's  and  Trimble's  brigades  advanced 
to  the  front  to  relieve  the  command  of  Brigadier-general 
Hood,  (on  the  left  of  Major-general  D.  H.  Hill,)  which  had 
been  more  or  less  engaged  during  the  evening.  Trimble's 
brigade  was  posted  on  the  right,  next  to  Ripley's,  of  D.  H. 
Hill's  division,  and  Lawton's  on  the  left. 

The  troops  slept  that  night  upon  their  arms,  disturbed  by 
the  occasional  fire  of  the  pickets  of  the  two  armies,  who  were 
in  close  proximity  to  each  other.  At  the  first  dawn  of  day, 
skirmishing  commenced  in  front,  and  in  a  short  time  the  Fed 
eral  batteries,  so  posted  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Antietam 
as  to  enfilade  my  line,  opened  a  severe  and  damaging  fire. 


296  APPENDIX. 

This  was  vigorously  replied  to  by  the  batteries  of  Poague,  Car 
penter,  Brockenbrough,  Kaine,  Caskie,  and  Woodiog.  About 
sunrise  the  Federal  infantry  advanced  in  heavy  force  to  the 
edge  of  the  wood  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  turnpike,  driving 
in  our  skirmishers.  Batteries  were  opened  in  front  from  the 
wood  with  shell  and  canister,  and  our  troops  became  exposed, 
for  near  an  hour,  to  a  terrific  storm  of  shell,  canister,  and 
musketry.  Gen.  Jones  having  been  compelled  to  leave  the 
field,  the  command  of  Jackson's  division  devolved  upon  Gen. 
Starke.  With  heroic  spirit  our  lines  advanced  to  the  conflict 
and  maintained  their  position  in  the  face  of  superior  numbers. 
With  stubborn  resolution,  sometimes  driving  the  enemy  before 
them  and  sometimes  compelled  to  fall  back,  before  their  well- 
sustained  and  destructive  fire.  Fresh  troops  from  time  to  time 
relieved  the  enemy's  ranks,  and  the  carnage  on  both  sides 
was  terrific.  At  this  early  hour  Gen.  Starke  was  killed,  Col. 
Douglas,  (commanding  Lawton's  brigade,)  was  also  killed, 
Gen.  Lawton,  commanding  division,  and  Col.  Walker,  com 
manding  brigade,  were  severely  wounded.  More  than  half  of 
the  brigades  of  Lawton  and  Hays  were  either  killed  or 
wounded,  and  more  than  a  third  of  Trimble's,  and  all  the  regi 
mental  commanders  in  those  brigades  except  two  were  killed 
or  wounded.  Thinned  in  their  ranks  and  exhausted  of  their 
ammunition,  Jackson's  division  and  the  brigades  of  Lawton, 
Hays,  and  Trimble  retired  to  the  rear,  and  Hood,  of  Long- 
street's  command,  again  took  the  position  from  which  he  had 
been  before  relieved. 

In  the  mean  time,  Gen.  Stuart  moved  his  artillery  to  a  po 
sition  nearer  to  the  main  command  and  more  in  our  rear. 
Early  being  now  directed,  in  consequence  of  the  disability  of 
Gen.  Lawton,  to  take  command  of  EwelPs  division,  returned 
with  his  brigade  (with  the  exception  of  the  13th  Virginia 
regiment,  which  remained  with  Gen.  Stuart,)  to  the  piece  of 
wood  where  he  had  left  the  other  brigades  of  his  division 
when  he  was  separated  fiom  them.  Here  he  found  that  the 


APPENDIX.  297 

enemy  had  advanced  his  infantry  near  the  wood  in  which  was 
the  Dunkard  church,  and  had  planted  a  battery  across  the 
turnpike  near  the  edge  of  the  wood  and  an  open  field,  and  that 
the  brigades  of  Lawton,  Hays,  and  Trimble,  had  fallen  back 
some  distance  to  the  rear.  Finding  here  Cols.  Grigsby  and 
Stafford  with  a  portion  of  Jackson's  division,  which  formed 
on  his  left,  he  determined  to  maintain  his  position  there  if 
reinforcements  could  be  sent  to  his  support,  of  which  he  was 
promptly  assured.  Col.  Grigsby,  with  his  small  command, 
kept  in  check  the  advance  of  the  enemy  on  the  left  flank, 
while  General  Early  attacked  with  great  vigor  and  gallantry 
the  column  on  his  right  and  front.  The  force  in  front  was 
giving  way  under  this  attack,  when  another  heavy  column  of 
Federal  troops  were  seen  moving  across  the  plateau  on  his 
left  flank.  By  this  time  the  expected  reinforcements,  con 
sisting  of  Semmes'  and  Anderson's  brigades,  and  a  part  of 
Barksdale's  of  McLaw's  division  arrived,  and  the  whole,  in 
cluding  Grigsby's  command,  now  united,  charged  upon  the 
enemy,  checking  his  advance,  then  driving  him  back  with 
great  slaughter  entirely  from  and  beyond  the  wood,  and  gain 
ing  possession  of  our  original  position.  No  further  advance, 
beyond  demonstrations,  was  made  by  the  enemy  on  the  left. 
la  the  afternoon,  in  obedience  to  instructions  from  the  com 
manding  general,  I  moved  to  the  left  with  a  view  of  turning 
the  Federal  right,  but  I  found  his  numerous  artillery  so  judi 
ciously  established  in  their  front  and  extending  so  near  to  the 
Potomac,  which  here  makes  a  remarkable  bend,  which  will  be 
seen  by  reference  to  the  map  herewith  annexed,  as  to  render 
it  inexpedient  to  hazard  the  attempt.  In  this  movement  Ma 
jor-general  Stuart  had  the  advance  and  acted  his  part  well. 
This  officer  rendered  valuable  service  throughout  the  day. 
His  bold  use  of  artillery  secured  for  us  an  important  position, 
which,  had  the  enemy  possessed,  might  have  commanded  our 
left.  At  the  close  of  the  day  my  troops  held  the  ground 


298  APPENDIX. 

which  they  had  occupied  in  the  morning.  The  next  day  we 
remained  in  position  awaiting  another  attack.  The  enemy 
continued  in  heavy  force  west  of  the  Antietam  on  our  left,  but 
made  no  further  movement  to  the  attack. 

I  refer  you  to  the  report  of  Major-general  A.  P.  Hill  for 
the  operations  of  his  command  in  the  battle  of  Sharpsburg. 
Arriving  upon  the  battle-field  from  Harper's  Ferry  at  half- 
past  two  o'clock  of  the  1 7th,  he  reported  to  the  commanding 
general,  and  was  by  him  directed  to  take  position  on  the 
right.  I  have  not  embraced  the  movements  of  his  division, 
nor  his  killed  and  wounded  of  that  action  in  my  report. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  we  recrossed  the  Potomac 
river  into  Virginia,  near  Shepherdstown.  The  promptitude 
and  success  with  which  this  movement  was  effected  reflected 
the  highest  credit  upon  the  skill  and  energy  of  Major  Harman, 
chief  quartermaster.  In  the  evening  the  command  moved 
on  the  road  leading  to  Martinsburg,  except  Lawton's  brigade 
(Colonel  Lamar,  of  the  61st  Georgia,  commanding),  which  was 
left  on  the  Potomac  Heights. 

On  the  same  day  the  enemy  approached  in  considerable 
force  on  the  northern  side  of  the  Potomac,  and  commenced 
planting  heavy  batteries  on  its  heights.  In  the  evening  the 
Federals  commenced  crossing  under  the  protection  of  their 
guns,  driving  off  Lawton's  brigade  and  General  Pendleton's 
artillery.  By  morning  a  considerable  force  had  crossed  over. 
Orders  were  dispatched  to  Generals  Early  and  Hill,  who  had 
advanced  some  four  miles  on  the  Martinsburg  road,  to  return 
and  drive  back  the  enemy. 

General  Hill,  who  was  in  the  advance,  as  he  approached 
the  town,  formed  his  line  of  battle  in  two  lines,  the  first  com 
posed  of  the  brigades  of  Pender,  Gregg,  and  Thomas,  under 
the  command  of  General  Gregg;  and  the  second,  of  Lane's, 
Archer's,  and  Brockenbrough's  brigades,  under  command  of 
General  Archer.  General  Early,  with  the  brigades  of  Early, 


.  APPENDIX.  299 

Trimble,  and  Hays,  took  position  in  the  wood  on  the  right  and 
left  of  the  road  leading  to  the  ford.  The  Federal  infantry 
lined  the  high  banks  of  the  Virginia  shore,  while  their  artil 
lery,  formidable  in  numbers  and  weight  of  metal,  crowned  the 
opposite  heights  of  the  Potomac.  General  Hill's  division 
advanced  with  great  gallantry  against  the  infantry,  in  the 
face  of  a  continued  discharge  of  shot  and  shell  from  their 
batteries.  The  Federals  massing  in  front  of  Fender,  poured 
a  heavy  fire  into  his  ranks,  and  then  extending  with  a  view 
to  turn  his  left.  Archer  promptly  formed  on  Fender's  left, 
when  a  simultaneous  charge  was  made,  which  drove  the  enemy 
into  the  river,  followed  by  an  appalling  scene  of  the  destruc 
tion  of  human  life.  Two  hundred  prisoners  were  taken.  This 
position  on  the  banks  of  the  river  we  continued  to  hold  that 
day,  although  exposed  to  the  enemy's  guns  and  within  range 
of  his  sharpshooters  posted  near  the  Chesapeake  and  Ohio 
Canal.  Our  infantry  remained  at  the  river  until  relieved  by 
cavalry  under  General  Fitzhugh  Lee. 

On  the  evening  of  the  20th  the  command  moved  from 
Shepherdstown  and-  encamped  near  the  Opequon,  in  the  vi 
cinity  of  Martinsburg.  We  remained  near  Martinsburg  until 
the  27th,  when  we  moved  to  Bunker  Hill,  in  the  county  of 
Berkeley.  The  official  lists  of  the  casualties  of  my  command 
during  the  period  embraced  in  this  report,  will  show  that  we 
sustained  a  loss  of  38  officers  killed,  171  wounded;  of  313 
non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  killed,  1,859  wounded; 
and  missing  57 — making  a  total  loss  of  2,438,  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing. 

For  these  great  and  signal  victories  our  sincere  and  humble 
thanks  are  due  unto  Almighty  God.  Upon  all  appropriate 
occasions  we  should  acknowledge  the  hand  of  Him  who  reigns 
in  heaven  and  rules  among  the  powers  of  the  earth.  In 
view  of  the  arduous  labors  and  great  privations  which  the 
troops  were  called  on  to  endure,  and  the  isolated  and  perilous 
position  which  the  command  occupied  while  engaged  with  the 


300  APPENDIX. 

greatly  superior  force  of  the  enemy,  we  feel  the  encouraging 
consolation  that  God  was  with  us  and  gave  to  us  the  victory, 
and  unto  His  holy  name  be  all  gratitude  and  praise. 
I  am,  general,  very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

T.  J.  JACKSON, 

Lieutenant-general. 


II. 


"THE  OLD  STONEWALL  BRIGADE.' 


A  WRITER  in  the  "  Southern  Illustrated  News"  has  the  fol 
lowing  paragraph  in  reference  to  the  Stonewall  Brigade,  so 
long  commanded  by  Jackson  : 

"  The  Old  Stonewall  Brigade  !  What  a  host  of  thoughts, 
memories,  and  emotions  do  these  words  excite  !  How  like  a 
call  to  the  charge  sounds  the  simple  mention  of  the  famous 
band  !  These  veterans  have  fought  and  bled  and  conquered 
on  so  many  battle-fields,  that  memory  grows  weary  almost  of 
recalling  their  glories.  Gathering  around  Jackson  in  the  old 
clays  of  Patterson  in  the  Valley,  when  Stuart  had  but  a  hand 
ful  of  cavalry  to  watch  the  whole  border,  and  Ashby,  our  dead 
hero,  was  a  simple  captain — they  held  in  check  an  enemy 
twenty  times  their  number,  and  were  moulded  by  the  hand  of 
their  great  leader  into  that  stern  phalanx  which  no  bayonet 
could  break,  and  no  odds  intimidate.  They  were  boys  and 
old  men,  the  humblest  of  the  sons  of  toil,  and  the  flower  of  the 
land — but  united,  trained,  and  looking  with  supreme  confi 
dence  to  their  commander. 

"And  then  commenced  their  long  career  of  glory — their 
wonderful  marches  over  thousands  of  miles — their  incessant 
combats  against  odds  that  seemed  overpowering — their  con- 


302  APPENDIX. 

tempt  of  snow  and  rain,  and  cold  and  hunger,  and  want  of 
rest.  The  soul  of  their  leader  seemed  to  have  entered  into 
every  breast — and  '  Stonewall's  Band'  became  the  terror  of 
the  enemy.  To  meet  that  enemy,  was  to  conquer  him,  it 
might  almost  be  said,  so  obstinately  did  the  eagles  of  victory 
continue  to  perch  upon  the  old  battle-flag.  The  laws  of  the 
human  body  seemed  to  have  been  reversed  for  these  men. 
They  marched,  and  fought,  and  triumphed,  like  war  machines, 
which  felt  no  need  of  rest,  or  food,  or  sleep. 

"In  one  day  they  marched  from  Harper's  Ferry  to  Stras- 
burg,  nearly  fifty  miles.  On  the  advance  to  Romney  they 
walked — many  without  shoes — over  roads  so  slippery  with  ice 
that  men  were  falling  and  their  guns  going  off  all  along  the 
column — and  at  night  lay  down,  without  blankets,  on  the 
snow,  with  no  camp-fires  and  no  food. 

"At  the  first  great  battle  of  Manassas  they  were  nearly 
starved,  but  fought  with  desperation.  At  the  last  battles 
there  I  saw  them  by  the  road-side,  where  they  had  halted,  and 
one  of  my  friends,  a  brave  young  officer  of  the  command, 
thanked  me  for  a  biscuit. 

"  The  very  rapidity  of  their  marches  separates  them  from 
all  soldier-comforts — often  from  their  very  blankets,  however 
cold  the  weather ;  and  any  other  troops  but  these  and  their 
Southern  comrades  would  long  since  have  mutinied  and  de 
manded  bread  and  rest.  But  the  shadow  of  disaffection  never 
flitted  over  forehead  in  that  command.  Whatever  discontent 
may  be  felt  at  times  at  the  want  of  attention  on  the  part  of 
subordinate  officers  to  their  necessities,  the  *  long  roll'  has 
only  to  be  beaten — they  have  only  to  see  the  man  in  the  old 
faded  uniform  appear,  and  hunger,  cold,  fatigue,  are  for 
gotten.  The  Old  Brigade  is  ready — '  Here !'  is  the  answer 
to  the  roll-call,  all  along  the  line — and  though  the  eye  is 
dull  from  want  of  food  and  rest,  the  arm  is  strong,  and 
the  bayonet  is  sharp  and  bright.  Before  those  bayonets 
no  foe  shall  stand — to  pass  them,  is  to  advance  over  the 


APPENDIX. 

bodies  of  dead  heroes,  grasping  still  the  trusty  musket,  even 
in  death. 

"  The  campaigns  of  the  Valley ;  the  great  flank  movement 
of  the  Chickahominy ;  the  masterly  advance  upon  Manassas 
in  the  rear  of  Pope — these  are  the  fadeless  glories  of  the  Old 
Brigade.  Their  path  has  been  strewed  all  over  with  battles. 
Incredible  have  been  their  marches ;  countless  their  combats 
— almost  always  against  overpowering  numbers.  The  scythe 
of  death  has  mowed  down  whole  ranks  of  them  ;  but  the  Old 
Brigade  still  marches  on,  and  fights  and  conquers.  The  war 
worn  veterans  still  confront  the  foe,  though  the  thinned  ranks 
tell  the  tale  of  their  glories  and  their  losses.  Many  brave 
souls  have  poured  out  their  blood  and  fallen  ;  but  they  are 
conquerors,  and  more  than  conquerors,  in  the  world's  great 
eye.  The  comrades  of  these  heroes  hold  their  memory  sa 
cred,  and  have  offered  bloody  sacrifices  to  their  manes. 
'Steady!  Close  up!'  were  the  last  words  echoed  in  the  dying 
ears — and  the  aim  of  the  survivors  was  only  more  steady,  the 
charge  with  the  bayonet  more  deadly. 

"Those  survivors  may  be  pardoned  if  they  tell  their  chil 
dren,  when  the  war  is  ended',  that  they  fought  under  Jackson, 
in  the  4  Old  Stonewall  Brigade.'  They  may  be  pardoned  even 
if  they  boast  of  their  exploits — their  wonderful  marches — 
their  constant  and  desperate  combats — the  skill  and  nerve 
which  snatched  victory  from  the  jaws  of  defeat,  and,  even  when 
they  were  retiring  before  overwhelming  numbers,  made  it  truly 
better  that  the  foe  had  *  ne'er  been  born/  than  meet  their  bay 
onet  charge. 

"  In  speaking  of  this  veteran  legion,  '  praise  is  virtue.' 
Their  history  is  blazoned  all  over  with  glory.  They  are 
'  happy  names,  beloved  children ' — the  favorites  of  fame,  if 
not  of  fortune.  In  their  dingy  uniforms,  lying  stretched  be 
neath  the  pines,  or  by  the  road-side,  they  are  the  mark  of 
many  eyes  which  see  them  not — the  absorbing  thought  in  the 


304  APPENDIX. 

breast  of  beauty,  and  the  idols  of  the  popular  heart.  In  line 
before  the  enemy,  with  their  bristling  bayonets,  they  are  the 
terror  of  the  foe,  and  the  life-guard  of  their  dear  old  mother, 
Virginia. 

"  The  heart  that  does  not  thrill  at  sight  of  the  worn  vet 
erans,  is  cold  indeed.  To  him  who  writes,  they  present  a 
spectacle  noble  and  heroic ;  and  their  old  tattered,  ball-pierced 
flag  is  the  sacred  ensign  of  liberty. 

"Their  history  and  all  about  them  is  familiar  to  me.  I 
have  seen  them  going  into  action — after  fighting  four  battles 
in  five  days — with  the  regularity  and  well-dressed  front  of 
holiday  soldiers  on  parade.  There  was  no  straggling,  no  lag 
ging — every  man  stood  at  his  work,  and  advanced  with  the 
steady  tramp  of  the  true  soldier.  The  ranks  were  thin,  and 
the  faces  travel-worn,  but  the  old  flag  floated  in  the  winds  of 
the  Potomac  as  defiantly  as  on  the  banks  of  the  Shenandoah. 
That  bullet-torn  ensign  might  have  been  written  all  over,  on 
both  sides,  with  the  names  of  battles,  and  the  list  have  then 
been  incomplete.  Manassas,  Winchester,  Kernstown,  Front 
Royal,  Port  Republic,  Cold  Harbor,  Malvern  Hill,  Slaughter 
Mountain,  Bristow  Station,  Groveton — Ox  Hill,  Sharpsburg, 
Fredericksburg,  were  to  follow.  And  these  were  but  the 
larger  names  upon  the  roll  of  their  glory.  The  numberless 
engagements  of  minor  character  are  omitted — but  in  these  I 
have  mentioned  they  appear  to  the  world,  and  sufficiently 
vindicate  their  claim  to  the  title  of  heroes. 

41 1  seemed  to  see  these  great  names,  as  the  Old  Brigade 
advanced  that  day ;  and  my  whole  heart  went  to  greet  them. 
Every  heart  that  is  true  to  our  great  cause,  and  loves  its  de 
fenders,  will  do  as  much. 

"  For  these  men  of  the  Old  Stonewall  Brigade  have  been 
brave  among  the  bravest — with  their  noble  comrades  of  Gen. 
Jackson's  corps,  they  have  turned  the  tide  of  battle  upon  many 
hard-fought  fields. 


APPENDIX.  305 

"They  have  'done  well  for  the  Kepublic' — and  let  their 
names  be  honored.  Let  the  public  salutation  greet  them — 
salutation  by  the  lip  and  pen,  no  less  than  by  the  heart — 
meet  them  and  greet  them,  and  call  them  glorious — children 
of  glory  marching  on  to  the  Pantheon  of  Fame,  in  a  great 
and  peaceful  land  1" 


THE    END. 


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